FEATURES BOBBY

CHRISTIAN
VICTOR In this special tribute, MD looks

BLAS LEWIS
at the life, times, and memories
of one of the percussion indus-
try's most beloved figures—"Mr.
ELIAS Percussion," Bobby Christian.

32
He first made his name with Stan
• by Lauren Vogel
Getz, Kenny Baron, and David
Slaughter's Blas Elias is one
Sanborn. These days New York
drummer who knows how to
jazz drummer/composer Victor
balance the technical with the
Lewis adds his unique style to
visual. Learn about the making
groundbreakers like Bobby Watson
of Slaughter's latest

28
& Horizon. Here MD

22
album—and check out
takes a close look at this
our exclusive Blas
talented musician.
equipment sidebar!

INSIDE
• by Ken Micallef
• by Robyn Flans

PAISTE
This month MD takes a tour
through the unique Paiste cym-
bal factory. Plus: an exclusive

36
sidebar examining the
extensive Paiste lines.
• by Rick Van Horn

COVER PHOTO BY JAY BLAKESBERG

 COLUMNS

Education
48 ROCK 'N' JAZZ
CLINIC
Double Bass
Ideas: Part 1
Equipment
BY ROD MORGENSTEIN
42 PRODUCT
56 ROCK CLOSE-UP
Cannon Mega V
Departments
PERSPECTIVES Drumkit
Developing Original
Rock Beats
BY RICK MATTINGLY 4 EDITOR'S
BY NICK FORTE 43 Brady 5x12 She-Oak OVERVIEW
Snare Drum
6 READERS'
News
62 STRICTLY BY RICK VAN HORN

TECHNIQUE 44 LP Jingle Things PLATFORM 8 UPDATE

BY RICK VAN HORN,
Continuous Roll Study ADRIENNE OSTRANDER, Nigel Olsson, Ted
In 16th Notes
BY JOE MORELLO
AND ADAM J.BUDOFSKY 10 DRUMLINE Parsons of Prong,
Lyle Lovett's Dan
60 FROM THE PAST 14 ASK A PRO Tomlinson, and
Pearl Jam's
66 TEACHERS' A Brief History Of
Fibes Drums Dave Abbruzzese,
FORUM BY BOB OWEN 18 IT'S plus News
Writing Drum Fills QUESTIONABLE
That Work
BY DEAN M. GOTTSCHALK 108 NEW AND 112 INDUSTRY
98 CRITIQUE HAPPENINGS
NOTABLE
92 THE JOBBING Profiles
DRUMMER 120 MD's 1992 114 DRUM MARKET
Sequencing: A
Drummer's Friend?
DRUM PRODUCT 50 PORTRAITS
BY DAVID MOORE CONSUMERS POLL Frank Vilardi
AND CARL HENRY BY CHARLES LEVIN

78 PERCUSSION
TODAY
Morton Sanders
BY ADAM J. BUDOFSKY
 EDITOR/PUBLISHER Ronald Spagnardi

On Consumer Input Isabel Spagnardi

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

MANAGING EDITOR Rick Van Horn

FEATURES EDITOR William F. Miller
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Adam J. Budofsky
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Justin J. Cordes
ART DIRECTOR Scott G. Bienstock
ART ASSISTANT Lori Spagnardi
Ever since the early days of Modern Drummer, I've
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Tracy A. Kearns
encouraged readers to offer their input on any ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bob Berenson
aspect of the magazine. Over the years, hundreds ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Joan C. Stickel
of readers have written to tell me what they like or SALES AND MARKETING Crystal W. Van Horn
dislike about MD. Hundreds more have written DIRECTOR
with suggestions for feature stories and column CONSULTANT TO THE Arnold E. Abramson
topics, among many other ideas. Rest assured that all your letters PUBLISHER

are read, and those with valuable ideas are thoroughly discussed at
MODERN DRUMMER ADVISORY BOARD: Henry Adler, Kenny
monthly editorial meetings. The point is, this continual flow of Aronoff, Louie Bellson, Bill Bruford, Roy Burns, Jim Chapin, Alan
input helps MD to be the best it can be in addressing the needs and Dawson, Dennis DeLucia, Les DeMerle, Len DiMuzio, Charlie
Donnelly, Peter Erskine, Vic Firth, Danny Gottlieb, Sonny Igoe, Jim
wants of you, the reader. Keltner, Larrie Londin, Peter Magadini, George Marsh, Joe Morello, Rod
Another important form of input is geared towards MD's advertis- Morgenstein, Andy Newmark, Neil Peart, Charlie Perry, Dave Samuels,
John Santos, Ed Shaughnessy, Steve Smith, Ed Thigpen, Dave Weckl,
ers. A good example is when we ask you to take a moment to
respond to the MD Consumer Poll on page 120 of this issue. The CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Robyn Flans, Simon Goodwin, Rick
Mattingly, Ken Micallef, Jeff Potter, Teri Saccone, Robert Santelli.
Poll is presented every three years or so, and it's your opportunity to
let the drum industry know haw you feel about their products, qual- MODERN DRUMMER magazine (ISSN 0194-4533) is published
monthly by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc., 870 Pompton
ity, service—even their advertising. Similar to prior Consumer Polls, Avenue, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009. Second-Class Postage paid at Cedar
the major categories are most innovative company, best quality and Grove, NJ 07009 and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 1992 by
MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
craftsmanship, most service-oriented, most interesting ad cam- Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited.
paign, and the most valuable product to appear on the market over
EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: MODERN
the past three years. Winners will be announced in the November DRUMMER Publications, 870 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove, NJ
issue of MD, and will be presented with handsomely designed 07009. Tel.: (201) 239-4140.

awards for their particular categories. MODERN DRUMMER welcomes manuscripts and photographic mate-
Naturally, we're hopeful that the manufacturers in our industry rial, however, cannot assume responsibility for them. Such items must
be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
will learn something from our Poll, even if it's merely to gain a better
grasp on what you're really thinking. Interestingly, past MD MUSIC DEALERS: Modern Drummer is available for resale at bulk
rates. Direct correspondence to Modern Drummer, Dealer Service, PO.
Consumer Polls have even become sort of a status symbol for some Box 389, Mt. Morris, IL 61054. Tel.: (800) 334-DRUM or (815) 734-
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To my knowledge, MD is the only major music publication offer- SUBSCRIPTION CORRESPONDENCE: Modern Drummer, PO. Box
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Harvey Mason
Your article on Harvey Mason in the ing the magazine to devote more time to man is an excellent drummer, to say the
March '92 issue was excellent! I'm an his business, Aquarian Accessories least. But saying that "putting the very
aspiring studio drummer, and your ques- Corporation. In a recent letter, Roy offered tasteless article on thrash and speed-
tions (and Harvey's answers) gave me a this message to his readers and fans: "It metal drummers in the same issue is just
lot of insight as to what being a session has been a great ride and a thrill to be unforgivable" is a real slap in the face to
drummer is all about. The information involved with MD since the beginning. I us drummers in the speed/heavy metal
contained in the interview is exactly what feel that I was a small part of a once-in-a- category.
I was waiting for! lifetime experience. Thanks for the oppor- Believe it or not, Mr. Dmytriw, drum-
Skip Reeves tunity to be involved. This was not an mers like Lars Ulrich and Scott
Denver CO easy decision, but my energy and time are Rockenfield are talented. They can do
required by Aquarian." things that I can only try in vain to
The Concepts department will continue do—even if my set is as big as theirs.
on a periodic basis, with articles submit- (And that's taking nothing away from
Fred Young ted by a variety of authors. drummers like Jim Keltner; many of
I truly enjoyed your March issue because them play small kits and do things that I
my two favorite drummers were featured: can only dream of doing.) If a speed/
Hunt Sales and Fred Young. They're heavy metal drummer deserves to grace
favorites because of the simplicity of Don't Forget PureCussion the pages of MD, then he or she should
their playing. In the It's Questionable section of your be allowed to do so—no matter what
I had the pleasure of attending a March issue, Joseph Dobkin requested other drummers are featured in that
Kentucky Headhunters concert recently. information on companies offering sin- issue.
I also got to meet the group prior to the gle-headed drums. I do believe that Your narrow-mindedness about other
show. It's refreshing to see talent that PureCussion drums would qualify as styles of drumming surprises me, Mr.
doesn't look down at you. It's also nice to being single-headed! I also feel that Dmytriw. The drummers that I have
see a real star, like Fred, who's willing to PureCussion is as major a drum company been fortunate enough to converse with
fall to earth and do human things. (And as at least two of the four drum compa- tend to be an open-minded and agreeable
every drummer I know wants a kit just nies mentioned. Wouldn't you agree that lot, no matter what style they play. I'm
like Fred's!) Keep up the good work, Mr. Dobkin and the rest of your readers glad you're not the editor of MD, for I
Fred, and don't ever sell out. Now that deserve a more complete answer to the fear that if you were, it would be a very
you've proven Nashville wrong, you can question? biased publication.
be yourselves and still put out music that Walt Johnston Russ Anderson
even a die-hard rocker like me will eager- Vice President/General Manager Ironwood MI
ly buy! PureCussion, Inc.
Daniel Biesheuver Minneapolis MN
Bismarck ND
Editor's note: PureCussion offers drums Thanks For The Country
created by mounting single drumheads on Coverage
RIMS mounts, employing special hard- Glad to see that you are featuring some of
Farewell To Roy ware that allows the heads to be tuned. the top country drummers more often
I recently received my March issue, and No drumshells are used. now (Fred Young, Milton Sledge, as well
was surprised by the absence of Roy as some of the Nashville studio guys). As
Burns' Concepts column. I've always a country drummer, I appreciate this
enjoyed Concepts; what's the story? immensely! How about an interview with
Tommy Fletiling Rebuttal To Dmytriw Steve Duncan of the Desert Rose Band
Akron OH I am writing in response to the letter and Hot Country Nights?
written by Mr. Mike Dmytriw in your Ray Heath
Editor's note: After more than 13 years as March issue. Mr. Dmytriw speaks clearly New London NH
a regular columnist for MD, Roy is leav- and truthfully about Jim Keltner—the
Nigel Olsson
When we talked to Nigel Olsson a something together for
couple months back, he had high a long time, and Davey
hopes for his new band, Warpipes, had a few songs he had
which took him out of semi- written. He and [key-
retirement. "The last Elton John boardist] Guy Babalon
tour I was on in 1986 lasted two put them down in
years," Nigel recalls. "When I got Guy's studio, and they
off tour, I wanted to slow down. were turning out so well
Then Elton changed the band that he called and said,
again, anyway." 'I'm going to send you a
For the past five years, Nigel's tape of a few songs. See
been living in Nashville, about how you f e e l about
which he says, "I fell in love with putting a band together
Nashville because it's very much behind all this.' I lis-
like England. The people are real- tened to the tape and
ly nice, it's green, and it's a great called him back and
place. I've lived in the south for a said, 'Yes, let's go ahead
long time—I lived in Atlanta and and do it.'"
North Carolina before I moved Nigel says that when
here." he's free, he does some
According to Olsson, Warpipes sessions for his father-
came about "when Davey John- in-law, producer Larry
stone had come off the road with Butler, who uses him on
Elton—Elton retired again, which tracks that aren't "down
he does every two years," Nigel and out country."
laughs. "We'd been wanting to put • Robyn Flans

Ted Parsons
Prong isn't exactly the typical crossover homework between recording sessions, approach," he says.
band. But drummer Ted Parsons hopes and getting to know his instrument better. Prong recorded the new album in an old
long-time followers of the New York trio's "I think I've made a tremendous leap in Smith & Wesson firearms factory, where
brand of industrial metal go for what he my playing," Parsons says. "In the past, I Parsons used five snare drums—from a
calls a "more open, musical, and accessi- was content to just play things I already piccolo to a marching model—in stark
ble" record. knew how to do. Now I'm getting more contrast to the somewhat droning snare
With Prove You Wrong, Prong sur- into what rhythm is all about, challenging sound on Beg To Differ.
rounds the militant, start-stop rhythms myself, and almost being obsessive about "We really didn't have a good game plan
found on its previous efforts with more drumming." with the last record. But I felt really com-
varied and interesting melodic turns. But Parsons' growth as a player includes fortable doing this one," says Parsons, who
the most notable changes stem from more dynamic tom work, better use of previously played with the Swans. "I've
Parsons, who toned down the gated snare, double-bass, and riding the hi-hat with always been a big arm player, and I went
which hindered 1990's Beg To Differ, and his left hand. On "Get A Grip," off the for more concise fills this time. But I
went to a smaller kit for what he feels is new record, Parsons goes so far as to use think we convey more energy on this
his most musical recorded performance. his left foot for his main bass drum. "I'm record, too."
Parsons credits it all to doing a lot of just trying to achieve a more ambidextrous • Matt Peiken
 Dan Tomlinson
For the past couple of years, Dan Tomlinson has been juggling tion. I had a large percussion table, plus congas, bongos, tim-
his time between Lyle Lovett and Acoustic Alchemy. Both gigs bales, wood chimes, and six different kinds of cymbals. I was
present different challenges for the drummer, but Dan says he right up front with the two guitar players, and that was a lot of
particularly enjoys working in Lovett's large-band context, which fun, too.
includes cello, three horns, and three saxes. "Now I've actually replaced myself," he explains. "They didn't
"In playing with the large band," Dan says, "I get to actually be want to have a percussionist last year, but they still wanted to
more of a drummer, whereas in Lyle's small band, it's basically have the percussion parts. So now I have a large drum kit that
playing very quietly. In the large band, I get to play a lot of differ- includes bongos and timbales, and I'm doing both drums and
ent styles—country, rock, and a couple of funk tunes with kind of percussion."
a gospel feel—and I have to play like a big band drummer." Dan can be heard on Alchemy's last LP, Back On The Case. "It
The situation with Acoustic Alchemy has been interesting, too, was a little odd doing that record because of the way it was pro-
because Tomlinson started with them as a percussionist, a role duced," Dan explains. "They had each individual player do his
he had never played before. "I locked myself up in my room for part by himself. I had to come in and do the drums to just two
about two weeks learning percussion parts," he explains. "I really scratch acoustic guitar parts, which was a bit lonely. But the
enjoyed doing that with them. There was a lot of freedom to add album turned out really well."
colors, and I wasn't quite as restricted to the timekeeping posi- • Robyn Flans

Dave Abbruzzese was a little leery at first about stepping into a major-label
This past summer, Dave Abbruzzese was about as far away from
the vibrant Seattle rock music scene as you could get. But when situation. But Pearl Jam is just a good band making good music
Matt Chamberlain, previously known for his work with Edie without anybody worrying about trends—and that's exactly
Brickell & New Bohemians, left the fledgling group Pearl Jam to where I'm at, too."
take over the drum slot in the Saturday Night Live band, the Abbruzzese says he immediately hit it off with his new band-
door opened for the 23-year-old Texan. mates and that, with Pearl Jam on tour supporting the Red Hot
"I had been playing with this band in Dallas called Dr. Chili Peppers, he's already had a profound effect on the music.
Tongue, and Matt had just done a three-week tour with Pearl "The drum parts have changed considerably," he says. "In some
Jam," Abbruzzese recalls. "But we've known each other for a ways, it's hard to play somebody else's parts [Dave Krusen
while, and when the Saturday Night thing came up, he recom- played on the record], but my whole style is groove-oriented, so
mended me to the guys in Pearl Jam." I fit right in. The song structures are still the same, but I think
Suddenly, with Pearl Jam's debut, Ten, receiving heavy critical I've made the groove bigger."
acclaim, Abbruzzese has a new home and life. "There's a pretty Abbruzzese, though, is already looking forward to recording
good music scene in Dallas, but it's not anything like Seattle, new material with the group. In the meantime, fans can hear his
and I had a little culture shock when I first moved," he says. "I playing on a Pearl Jam single for the movie Singles.
come from the school of playing music for music's sake, and I • Matt Peiken

News...
Ed Shaughnessy has been Newton, Gerry House, Pam Tillis, Lee Greenwood, way.
working with his big band on Cumberland Boys, Jerry Reed, Michael W. Smith, Mac Richie Morales on Dave
scattered dates. If you find Roger Springer, Michael MacAnally, and Kurt Howell. Valentin's recent release, It's
yourself in L.A., Ed is now Twitty, Cathedrals, Jay Patten, Tal Bergman working on My Life.
available for lessons. You can and Don McLean. He's also new Billy Idol release. Tal can Michael Hodges is cur-
reach him at (818) 769-4144. been doing a lot of jingles, as also be heard on new releases rently on tour with Adrian
Michael Barsimanto can well as some live dates with by Chaka Khan, Boo Yaa Belew.
be heard on albums by Steve Jay Patten and Jimmy Hall & Tribe, and Jane Child. Ron Wikso has left his gig
Bach, Dianna Eve, and Jimmy the Prisoners of Love. Frank Derrick has recent- with Cher to play in the
Lawrence. Louie Weaver on Petra's ly completed a drum book Storm. The band recently
Vic Mastrianni is on the new LP, Unseen Power. entitled Drum Loops For Live opened for Bryan Adams on
road with Ricky Van Shelton. Steve Riley has left L.A. Drums. The book compiles 40 several dates.
Moyes Lucas is on the Guns. Bones has replaced pages of exercises and drum John Tempesta on recent
road with Dianna Ross. Ron him. machine beats geared toward Exodus release, Force Of
Powell is on percussion. Paul Leim on new releases coordination and discipline Habit.
Tommy Wells can be by Lorrie Morgan, Paul development. Frank has also
heard on records by Juice Overstreet, Bruce Carroll, been touring with Cab Callo-
Send quick, proven tips that have saved you time, drum cases in order to avoid scratching of RIMS and other isolation mounts, I'm
money, or effort to Drumline, c/o Modern them. Their uses are limited only by your surprised at the number of drummers I
Drummer, 870 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove, imagination—and they're free! see tightening their snare baskets to the
NJ 07009. Items can range from equipment
maintenance, repair, or design tips to practice Eliot Pietri point where the "claws" holding the drum
and playing ideas. Please keep tips to 15O words Yauco PR restrict shell vibration. Try this simple
or less, and be sure to include your name and
address. We will pay $15 for every tip we publish.
test: Place your drum in the snare stand
basket and tighten the claws tightly. Now,
play the drum with one hand, slowly loos-
Support For Lower Back Evaluating Drumheads ening the claws until they no longer bear
Here's a tip for drummers who tend to Have you ever bought a new drumhead down on the drum. Hear the difference.
slouch and feel lower back pain as a result. and tried to tune it up—only to find out Some drums will sound 30%-50% louder.
Very essential to weightlifters, a lower that your old head sounded better than the Even more volume and resonance can be
back belt is used to support the lifter's new one? I've had this experience many achieved by placing foam under the rim at
back and keep the back muscles from times, and have had to put the new head each point of contact with the snare stand
straining. The belt is perfect as a practic- away for use only in an emergency. What a claws.
ing tool because it gets you used to having waste! Mike Binet
good posture. You can find the belt at My solution is to remove a new head Lafayette LA
most sporting goods or fitness stores. from its package and test it before I buy it.
Kelly Benson I hold it by the rim, close to my ear, and
McMurray PA simply tap it in the center to hear how it
sounds. If it rings nicely and has a good Bass Drum Hoop Protection
character, chances are it'll tune up and Those of you who own bass drums with
sound that way on the drum, too. However, all-wooden hoops are faced with the prob-
Home-Made Shakers if it just gives a lifeless "thud," I put it lem of having pedal clamps chew unsightly
A variety of shakers can be made out of back in its box and try another one. I dents into the hoops. I've found that cut-
easily obtainable household objects. For sometimes need to try three or four heads ting an old T-shirt into small squares,
example, cut the tops off two aluminum before I find one that "sings," but it's well doubling the fabric over once (to provide
soft drink cans, put in half a cup of rice, worth it to beat the frustration (and two layers of material), and placing this
then tape the cut ends together. (You can expense) of a "dead head." between the hoop and the pedal clamp
tape together an entire six-pack for more Ron Hagelganz eliminates the chewing problem and
volume!) Tape or glue two empty 35mm Vancouver WA makes the dents from the clamp (which
film containers together at their bottoms. seem unavoidable—at least with some
Put a teaspoon of BBs in each container, pedals) hardly visible.
pop their lids back on, and shake away! Daniel Hughes
You can use two plastic vitamin or pill bot- Packing Your Stands Conley GA
tles in the same manner. I obtained an old moving/packing blanket,
Bill Rudy folded it in half, and had it stitched into I have noticed wooden bass drum hoops
Kissemee FL several separate compartments. Into these marred or scratched after clamping on
I insert my cymbal stands. Then I roll it hoop-mount cowbell holders. To protect
up and tie it with a couple of old belts. them, I purchased an inexpensive sheet of
This system holds my stands conveniently, adhesive-backed felt at a local discount
Multi-Use Rubber Washers while preventing them from scratching store, cut it to fit the inside of the clamp,
While having a flat tire fixed at a local gas each other. When empty, it provides a car- and solved the problem. It works great!
station recently, I noticed dozens of little pet large enough for a five-piece setup! Jim Murray
rubber "doughnuts" littering the floor. Mike Kosacek Jonesboro AR
They were the bottom ends of the valve Austin TX Note: The tips presented in Drumline are sugges-
stems, which are ripped off while repair- tions based on the personal experience of individual
drummers, and are not necessarily endorsed or rec-
ing tires. I've used these "doughnuts" on ommended by Modern Drummer magazine.
my kit in several ways: isolating cymbal Modern Drummer cannot guarantee that any prob-
cup washers from stands, glueing them to Improving Snare Drum lem will be solved by any Drumline suggestion, and
cannot be responsible for any damage to equipment
the bottom of my floor tom legs, even cov- Resonance or personal injury resulting from the utilization of
ering up unsightly holes drilled into With all the talk about "freely vibrating any such suggestion. Readers are encouraged to con-
sider each suggestion carefully before attempting to
drumshells. Another tip is to glue three or drumshells," the use of rubber insulators utilize any Drumline tip.
four "doughnuts" to the sides of your between shell and lug casings, and the use
Neil Peart Kyle, I can't think of a sin-
gle thing wrong with learn-
I started drumming on ing how to lead with either hand.
a left-handed kit By nature, nearly every drummer
because I didn't know any bet- favors one hand or the other to lead
ter. Later, I changed the kit with, and most of us spend our
around because I'm right- lives trying to train the other one to
handed. I didn't see any prob- lead as easily. Once again, I have to
lem until I realized I was limit- recount the great story about Gene
ed to what I could do depend- Krupa—apparently he used to
ing on what hand I was leading shake hands with his left hand,
with. I'd start going off beat, because it was "underdeveloped."
and it would become confus- So by all means lead with either
ing. You're my favorite drum- hand if you can; it can't do you a bit
mer, and I would greatly value of harm, and it will make it possi-
your opinion and/or any advice. ble for you to do some interesting
Will I be able to work it out in ride patterns and also permit some
time, or should I lead only with unusual fills. It might be a little
one hand? more difficult at first, but I'm sure
Kyle Rice it will be worth it. Maybe we should
Landisburg PA all start on opposite-hand kits!

Steve Smith
I got the Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concert
Bill Gibson
I recently saw you perform with Huey Lewis in Atlantic
tapes for Christmas. I'm very impressed with your flu- City. The band was extremely tight, and your drumming
ency in drumming techniques, and I commend you on your very was musically tasteful, with a great sound and very solid time.
successful drum duet with Marvin "Smitty" Smith. I was won- But I thought I saw
dering, though, what exactly that splash-like combination of you wearing head-
cymbals to your left was. It appeared to be a splash mounted on phones. If so, what
an inverted China. Please let me know what it was and if any was the reason for
special mounting system was employed to give the cymbals the that?
amount of contact they had. Bobby Sabella
Kristen Joseph Isaac Hartsdale NY
Sumter SC
Yes, Bobby,
I'm glad you enjoyed the tape, Kristen. It was very excit- you did, see
ing for me to take part in that event—and also a bit me wearing head-
nerve-wracking, because we only had one chance to "get it phones in Atlantic
right." City—because the
The combination of cymbals you refer to is a 12" Zildjian slot machines were
EFX Piggyback (a small China cymbal) with an 8" A Zildjian too loud! Seriously,
splash on top of it. The 12" is mounted the right way up, not on that tour the
inverted, and there is no special mounting system; the splash is band decided to
simply placed on top of the EFX cymbal. I think the sound is sequence certain
very interesting, and I've used this combination on many keyboard parts—such as horn lines—hence the use of a click
recordings. Thanks for listening! track on certain songs. Thanks for the complimentary words.
 What's Up With Pearl drummers sets the band apart from most and found no such marking.)
Snare Drums? others, and creates a special image for the "Leedy produced two Elite models. One
I'm interested in purchasing a Pearl brass group. And finally, in some cases bands was the Black Elite, the other was the
piccolo snare drum. Pearl offers model are formed from the members of two or White Elite, which featured a glossy white
number B-914P, a Free Floating Series more previous bands—including their enamel finish. For a time, both drums
drum. A drum salesman said he could sell drummers. Rather than eliminate one or were offered in a creative variety of plat-
me the new model B-9114D, with some the other, both drummers are included in ing, engraving, and enamel combinations.
specification changes and improvements. the new group. "Finding original replacement strainers
Are you aware of any changes to the B- for vintage drums is no easy task. If your
914P or of a new B-9114D model piccolo What's The History Of The strainer is broken, try to have it repaired
snare drum? Leedy Black Elite Snare? by a qualified drum or machine shop. If it
Tom Tabern I recently purchased an original Leedy is missing completely, a machine shop
Warner Robins GA Black Beauty snare drum. The rims are could possibly fabricate a look-alike
clearly stamped with the inscription replacement. You might also consider
Pearl's Ken Austin offers this "Leedy Indianapolis Ind." After taking the placing a want ad in the classified section
clarification: "There have been drum completely apart and inspecting it of Modern Drummer or in the Not So
some recent changes to the entire Free thoroughly, I noticed the letter E stamped Modern Drummer vintage-drum newslet-
Floating Series line—including the picco- into the shell, where it would be covered ter published by John Aldridge (4989
lo. We have introduced a more compact by one of the lug mounts. I know this isn't Eisenhower Dr. #B, Boulder, CO 80303).
and concise throw-off and butt that pro- much to go on, but could you tell me any- "Owning a vintage drum with a disabled
trude less from the chassis. Also, the Free thing about the history of this drum? Is it or missing strainer is a predicament that
Floating Series lug posts are no longer to my advantage to polish it, or should I tempts some drummers to drill extra
hex-shaped. They have been re-designed leave it just like it is? Do you have any holes in the shell of their drum to accom-
in a cylindrical fashion. suggestions for finding parts for this modate a new or substitute strainer. A far
"These changes are both functional and drum—specifically the strainer? Finally, better approach is to utilize an adaptor
cosmetic. The new lug posts offer easier what is a drum like this worth? plate between the snare strainer and the
tensioning of the heads, and the new butt Kit Autry drumshell. This method of installation
and throw-off afford the player no inter- Lakewood CO allows a strainer and drum with un-
ference in set-up." matched bolt-hole patterns to be connect-
We tapped vintage drum expert ed together without drilling any extra
Why Do Bands Use Ned Ingberman's research abili- holes in the drumshell. This way, the
Two Drummers? ties for this one. His reply is: "The correct drum is put back into action, while the
I have a question that has been hounding name for the drum you've described as a integrity and beauty of the shell are pre-
me for quite some time. Why do bands 'Leedy Black Beauty' is the Leedy Black served. For more information on how to
like .38 Special and the Doobie Brothers Elite. During its production history (1921 fabricate and install an adaptor plate, con-
incorporate two drummers and two to mid-1930s), the drum was first called tact Not So Modern Drummer.
drumkits? I enjoy their music, but I could the Multi-Model Classic, then the Elite "To clean your Black Elite, I recom-
never figure out what two different drum- Professional, and finally the Black Elite. mend gentle rubbing with a mild, non-
mers could do for a band. "The rim-enscribed Leedy logo was abrasive cleaner such as Windex. Avoid
Joseph Giacalone used on their snare drums only until 1930, strong chemical cleaners and polishing
Gloucester MA when the company was sold to Conn and compounds, as they could actually remove
moved from Indianapolis to Elkhart, Indi- the finish!
There are several reasons why a ana. This dates your drum between 1921 "Concerning the drum's value: The
band might choose to use two and 1929. To further pinpoint its age, regal beauty of its engraved black nickel
drummers. In some cases, the drummers more details or a photo would be needed. finish shell and brass-plated ('Nobby
play very different parts, giving the music The letter 'E' stamped into the shell is Gold') hardware, plus the exceptional
a more complex percussion sound than most likely a symbol used on the assembly tone of its seamless 20-gauge rolled-brass
one drummer could achieve. In other line to earmark a drum for fancy finishing shell, make this drum a highly desirable
cases, the two-drummer lineup simply as an Elite model. (I inspected another collectible worth $1,300 to $1,800—
adds power and intensity to the music. model Leedy drum of the same period, depending on its overall integrity and con-
From a visual standpoint, having two identical to the Elite except for the finish, dition."
By Robyn Flans
 RF: According to your publicity bio, you "just appeared rowed some money and got a one-way ticket. Ever since
out of nowhere from the Lone Star state." then, I really haven't been back. I think the guys in the
BE: As far as the Hollywood clique of musicians, I band were really impressed that I came. I don't think
appeared somewhat out of nowhere. I never intended to they took me seriously at first, being from Texas, but
come to LA. to become successful as a drummer. After they were frustrated with everyone else they had seen.
growing up wanting to be a musician and playing in RF: What was the audition like ?
bands, I decided I would try something else. I got inter- BE: I was playing a kit that was really uncomfortable,
ested in school and tried college for a while—not for but I thought, "I'm not going to have a mental block,"
music—and then I started playing on the road with a and I just went for it as best I could. They would sing
band in Texas and in the Midwest. I met up with a gui- out rhythms to me; it was like "stump the drummer"
tar player who played in a band with Bobby Rock, who time. They would have me imitate what they were
was the drummer for the Vinnie Vincent Invasion at the singing, and they made it as hard as they could just to
time. Bobby had gone to the same high school as me. throw me off. They wanted to know who they could
This guitarist had sent an audition tape to [Slaughter push the furthest. That's how Dana works in the studio,
bassist and singer/guitarist] Dana Strum and Mark too.
Slaughter when their band, the Vinnie Vincent Invasion, RF: How so?
was breaking up. I didn't really bother with it at first BE: On a particular part in the song, he'll want to hear a
because I was involved with another band. He didn't end lot of different types of rhythms. A lot of times they may
up getting the audition for it, but at the time my band sound kind of off-the-wall, but he wants to hear a lot of
broke up, I decided, what the hell, I'd send in a tape. I different combinations. It may sound stupid when we
didn't hear anything back for a while, but they finally talk about it, but it may end up fitting the song really
Photo by Jay Blakesberg

called me and said to send in a videotape because they well. I feel it's a drummer's job—no matter what—to be
couldn't afford to fly me out there. But I figured that if I able to play pretty much anything without having to sit
sent a video tape, I wouldn't really have a shot at there for hours and waste everybody's time. When I was
it—without talking, meeting the guys, and getting a per- learning drums, I made sure to learn a multitude of
sonal rap going, like the LA. drummers could. So I bor- rhythms so thoroughly that that would never happen. I
was really good at that part of
the audition.
RF: How did you learn that?
BE: When I got to high
school and was in the drum
section, we would get the
music, but throw it away and
make up our own parts. I
didn't have a teacher to learn
by, and actually, I feel
fortunate that I decided to
learn by myself. I think I
learned a lot more thoroughly
that way than I would have
with a teacher. I just bought a
lot of books and got some
music paper and started writ-
ing down different rhythms. I
would write down every pos-
sible combination I could
think of, and I'd spend hours
every day learning to play
every possible accent pattern
with 8th notes, 16th notes,
and triplets. Then I'd do
every possible sticking pat-
tern. I'd do the same thing
with my hands and feet, and
then I'd do different indepen-
dence exercises. I'd also do
polyrhythmic figures so that I
 Photo by Mark Weiss

could play any rhythm

at any time. There are
some songs on our
records—especially the
new one—that have
complex rhythms, even
percussion parts, that
are a little out of the
ordinary. If you look at
it from the outside, it
seems really simple,
but it's not.
I just always loved
rhythm, and no matter
what, I've always been
banging on some-
thing—ever since I was
a kid. I learned the solo
to "Moby Dick" in my
high school algebra
class. I failed my final
exam because I was
playing drums on my
desk after I finished my test. The teacher didn't grade my favorites as a song, not necessarily drumming-wise.
it; she just came up to me and said, "That was a very It's very laid back and influenced by John Bonham, in
good solo," and she wrote a big "F" on my paper, and I one of his slower feels. It's really simple, but the parts
failed the whole course. But I lived rhythm, no matter were very well thought out. Doing that record, I learned
where I was. You don't have to have a drumset, as long a lot about playing for the song and laying back where
as you have your feet and your hands. the vocal should be. I can't say there's anything on the
RF: How was the first album recorded? first album that was technically really great, but it was
BE: We all lived in this little apartment, and we worked pretty much playing for the songs and playing for radio
with a drum machine and a four-track on the living and the concert arena. We had definite goals in mind of
room floor or the dining room table. Then we went into what we wanted to achieve, and you can't overplay when
the Record Plant to do the demos, which was a great you're trying to get airplay and MTV But we're glad that
place for me to work my first time in a real studio. on the new record we decided to take more liberties.
RF: What did it feel like that first time? RF: Aside from playing for the song, what was your role
BE: It's scarier before you go in somewhere. We were so on the first album?
busy before we went in that we didn't have time to feel BE: I had to keep the parts interesting enough to make
that kind of anticipation. It was just another progression a difference and to make the song interesting and dif-
of what we were doing. It was really natural. Dana is ferent from anything else you'd hear. My drum hooks
really good in the studio. He knows how to bring out the didn't have to be hard to play—just good, well-written
best in people. parts that a listener is going to remember. When you see
RF: How does he bring out the best in you? someone listening to your song on their car stereo and
BE: That's hard to answer. He makes you feel very at they're air-drumming along, you know you've accom-
ease, he jokes with you. Everything is very lighthearted. plished something. There are a lot of classic songs that
It's not like, "Okay, you're on the grill." There was never have these great drum parts that aren't the hardest
any pressure. We did the demos in the studio as prepa- things in the world to play. Most arrogant drummers
ration for the record so that we wouldn't have that prob- would say, "That's just full-of-shit, AC/DC 2/4," but
lem. Being self-produced, there wasn't anyone there they're still good parts. I think it's harder to come up
intimidating us. with parts like that than to just throw in a lot of notes
RF: How was it cut? and bullshit your way through something.
BE: Everybody at first doing scratch tracks together. RF: Any other songs on the first album that you want to
Everything was pieced together after the fact. talk about?
RF: What were some of the more challenging, hard-to- BE: Like I said, there are a lot of different feels. There
get, or fun tracks on the first album for you? is a song that was never on the radio called "She Wants
BE: I can't name one favorite, because they're all so dif- More" that had a really good shuffle feel to it. It was
ferent. "Flight Of The Angels" has always been one of something you wouldn't expect a rock band to play. The
 Photo by Jay Blakesberg

intro to "So Mad About You" is

done in 6/8 and has a lot of
polyrhythms, which nobody
would expect, but it really
doesn't come across because
you can barely hear it. I do a lot
of things with the hi-hat that
add a different feel to it, like
on the song "Up All Night."
Even though it's a very
straight-forward 2/4 groove, I
interpreted that a different way
than maybe a lot of people
would have. I put in some 16th
notes combined with the 8th-
note feel on the hi-hat, and
that gave it a bit more of an
upbeat, dance-type feel to it. It
gives me a little bit of my own
style, I hope. I do that in quite
a few of our songs. I expanded
the whole style of my hi-hat
work on the new record. I get a
lot of that from my drum corps
days.
RF: Dana and Mark gave you
free rein to do what you want-
ed?
BE: It's free rein for ideas, but
then everybody has their input
on what's cool and what's not.
It's not like any one person
says, "Absolutely not, you can't
even try that." In fact, Dana
will ask me to take more liber-
ties and come up with more
ideas, because the more ideas
you throw out, the more
chances there are of hitting
something good. That's a real-
ly good attitude to have,
because we'll come up with
some cool stuff by accident
sometimes.
Also on the first album was
the song "Eye To Eye," which
is really cool as far as the parts go. It's in 6/8 in the intro work best. We went through all these snare drums to
and changes into 4/4. I think it was probably two differ- find which had the biggest sound, and the one that
ent songs that got fused together. A lot of times we'll do ended up sounding the biggest was a piccolo that was
that. There's also some really good hi-hat work in there tuned lower and hit softer! I even used a 20" kick drum.
that combines some 8th notes with triplet 16ths, kind of The microphone doesn't hear the volume, it just hears
with a shuffle feel in the bass drum. It all works in a the sound. The bigger the drum, the harder you have to
weird way with the cowbell rhythm, which is more of a hit it to get the same sound out of it. With cymbals it's
straight-forward, almost Latin type of thing. the same thing. I do play hard, especially live, but in the
RF: What did you learn from making the first album? studio I had to lighten up a little.
BE: As far as the instruments are concerned, I found One of the biggest things I learned was to relax. Even
that smaller drums tuned lower and played not as hard faster and harder parts came a lot easier when I was
 people who play different instruments is
really valuable. What a bass player thinks a
rhythm should be is a lot different than
what a drummer might think. But if you
listen to his ideas, you might realize some-
thing. I'm learning that it's really valuable
to listen to other people's points of view.
RF: Do you record with both bass drums?
BE: No, with one bass drum. I don't think
you'd ever want to record with two bass
drums. Things you use live oftentimes
never make it into the studio, like the sizes
of drums and setups. I could never play the

Blas's
kit I play live in the studio.
RF: What's different?

Drums BE: Live, I play for the audience. My phi-

losophy is that kids are paying money to
come see a show. If they wanted to listen to
something perfect without seeing a show,
Drumset: Ludwig Super Classic in Cymbals: Sabian
chrome finish 1. 19" China they'd put their CD in their players and
A. 6 1/2 x 14 Black Beauty snare 2. 17" AA medium-thin crash listen at home. They're coming out to see
drum 3. 14" AA Fusion hi-hats something—the aggression, the raw ener-
B. 9 x 8 tom 4. 19" AA medium-thin crash gy, the feeling, the vibe—the whole pic-
C. 9 x 10 tom 5. 19" AA medium-thin crash
D. 11 x 12 tom 6. 22" AA Rock ride ture. If you go see a jazz band, of course
E . 12 x 13 tom 7. 18" AA medium-thin crash you're going to listen a lot more carefully.
F. 13 x 14 tom 8. 20" China But a rock concert is not just the music,
G. 16 x 16 tom it's the feeling, it's the other people in the
H. 16 x 18 tom Hardware: RIMS mounts, Falicon
I. 24 x 22 bass drum custom rack, DW Turbo 5000 bass audience banging their heads, waving their
J. 24 x 22 bass drum drum pedals with wood beaters arms in the air, and the guys on stage
Heads: Remo C.S. Black Dot on jumping up and down. I always felt I had to
Sticks: Pro*Mark 2S Hickory model snare, Pinstripes on tops of toms with
put on the best show I could.
(unfinished), with wood tip clear Ambassadors on bottoms, Pin-
stripes on bass drum batters with My favorite concerts I saw were with
Electronics: E-Mu Pro-cussion, LP Remo Muffl's, Ambassadors on front the drummers who were very visual. One
Spike triggers, and a drumKAT. of bass drum of the first concerts I saw was KISS, and I
remember seeing this huge drumset and
the drummer playing in a somewhat flashy
manner for that time. Peter Criss was one
relaxed. I remember the last night we were at Pasha, I of my biggest early influences. Bun E. Carlos, also,
had two more songs to do, and I had been up for twenty because he wasn't just an average drummer. The drum-
hours recording, with no breaks. We thought we had to mers who have set themselves apart in one way or
be finished in the morning, and it was already 6:00 in another have been the ones who have been remem-
the morning—we had been recording since 7:00 the bered. Keith Moon is one of my favorites because he did
morning before. We were working on the end of "Reach everything he could to be noticed.
For The Sky." It's not that hard of a part, but I was try- I create these really weird-looking monstrosities of a
ing so hard to get the end down that for two hours, I drumset, and I set everything up so I can be seen. I have
couldn't get it. When I was doing the demos and there my toms relatively low and flat, the cymbals really high,
was no pressure, I breezed through it in one take. That and the drums all spread far apart so there's a good
performance blew away anything that I tried when we view. I use a cage to give a very open effect, both for my
were doing the record. We decided we'd just quit and perspective of the audience and theirs of me.
beg for more time. We came back in, and I nailed it right In the studio, everything is a lot closer, the drum sizes
away. are smaller. I would never use a 24" kick in the studio.
Another thing I learned is that drummers have these Cymbals in the studio are also smaller and thinner. I
ideas of how things should be "drumming-wise." Some- would never touch the hi-hats I use on records live
times somebody sings out a rhythm to you and you because I'm playing ten times harder live than in the
think, "It's stupid, I don't want to try that," but if you studio.
play it and listen back to it with the song, it might sound RF: You went to Florida to design your drumset, right?
really good. Listening to drumming ideas from other BE: I started using a rack when I was playing clubs because
By Ken Micallef Photos By Ebet Roberts
 hen organizing the "New York Jazz Drummers Round Table" article
for MD last year, each drummer, to a man, insisted that Victor Lewis
be on the panel. He made the round table, albeit out of a sickbed.
That in itself helps to explain why so many musicians hold Victor in
high regard: He always puts the music first. Whether playing with Horizon,
the hard bop/R&B quintet he co-leads with alto saxophonist Bobby Wat-
son, or tending to his busy schedule of live gigs and recording work,
Lewis's witty, empathetic drumming consistently says the right thing at the
right time.
An easygoing manner—backed with a serious attitude towards the
music—has allowed him to breakthrough the stereotyping common
among New York musicians. Victor Lewis works with everybody, from
David Sanborn's funk to the serene sounds of the late Stan Getz, from
Carlo Bley's avant-garde to the mainstream bop of Kenny Barron and
John Stubblefield. Not to mention records with Woody Shaw, Mingus Epi-
taph, Julius Hemphill, Dexter Gordon, Benny Green, Geoff Keezer, Oliver
Lake, Clark Terry, Ralph Moore, John Hicks...well...you get the idea.
On a recent evening at the Blue Note with vibist Bobby Hutcherson, Vic-
tor's drumming was a study in musicality. Seemingly in a trance, he
manipulated the music through dynamics, articulate technique, and rhyth-
mic conversation. Intensity and attentiveness were matched by driving,
concise patterns and Victor's trademark shimmering cymbal work.
The month leading up to our chat at a noisy Greenwich Village restau-
rant, Victor's manager kept me informed of his changing whereabouts: a
week in Moscow with Mingus Epitaph, the premiere of the Smithsonian
Repertory Orchestra in New York, a concert in Frankfurt with the New York
Jazz Quintet, a record with Gary Bartz, a short tour with Horizon, and final-
ly the Blue Note gig with Hutcherson.
And as if all this weren't enough, the guy's recognized as a fine compos-
er, having had his work recorded by many different artists. It's obvious that
Victor has something special.
KM: How does attitude figure into one's tion of the tune I not only try to do vous about recommending someone?
career? what's written in the head, but I also try VL: You want it to be right. And if it's
VL: It may have something to do with to think of what each section represents, not right...it ain't right! [laughs] If that
being successful. When people work compiling a whole set of sub-sections happens it reflects poorly on me.
with you, being somebody who they within each section. Also, I play a lot to KM: Does your mind go into overdrive
know will try to do their best is impor- the sounds of chords. Different chords when you have a limited amount of time
tant. It's definitely important not to do have different moods. If it's an ethereal to rehearse a band?
anything that will screw up the vibe. kind of section, maybe I won't play any VL: Then, and when I get cats who
That doesn't help. time at all. I'll just do swells on the cym- think a certain way. A unifying concept or
KM: Does your being a recognized com- bals, and then come down to be ready for vision can help to get you there faster. If
poser as well as a drummer cause the the next section. you have a concept, all the things that
leaders to treat you differently? KM: You've said you don't think in aren't on the paper—which are the
VL: It's not something important things—start to come
that affects them directly, faster. I love to use dynamics.
but it may be why I'm
chosen for gigs. One of
the reasons I play the way
Victor's Spoils When you have cats that think
Compositionally and dynamically,
then you can go through the hills
I do is that I'm a compos- and valleys. You can shift gears
er. and go through different moods.
KM: You play drums KM: Sometimes in Manhattan,
more as a musician than you may hear "name" players on a
as a drummer. You play gig, and it's just not happening,
parts, as opposed to being they're not together. Was the gig
flashy. at The Blue Note a particularly
VL: One of the reasons I good gig for you?
like to play different styles VL: It was a challenge, since I
of music is that you learn shared the house drumset with
different disciplines. the drummer from Arturo San-
When you're playing dif- Drumset: Premier Cymbals: Zildjian doval's band. You couldn't
ferent bags, there are A. 7 1/2 x 14 wood-shell snare 1. 14" hi-hats depend on the setup from set to
things that are more B. 8 x 12 tom 2. 18" A sizzle set.
C. 14 x 14 floor tom 3. 22" A ride
important to stress in the I'll never forget the time I was
D. 14 x 18 bass drum 4. 20" K ride
drum part, at the expense playing in Italy and Ed Blackwell
of other things. I always was playing with Don Cherry. He
felt that if I could gain didn't have his drums or cymbals.
that kind of experience, it would help my terms of chops but in more abstract The cymbal company was supposed to
overall focus within jazz. I learned a lot terms. have furnished them, but there was
from my funk record dates—David San- VL: I'm more into music than I'm into some problem. So I said, "Ed Blackwell
born, Phillis Hyman, Earl Klugh. From playing drums. Drums are my chosen needs some cymbals? Here man, take
playing that style, you end up having to instrument, but I compose on piano. I mine!" I took them out and spread them
look at everything as highly sectional- took classical piano lessons for three around, but he only looked at them. He
ized. You think in terms of sections and years as a kid. It's a great vehicle to work said, "I like the way that one looks, and
setting up those sections. on. Some say it's the mother of all that one...." I was stunned. So he took
KM: It seems you approach straight- instruments. the cymbals, set them up, and on the
ahead drumming the same way. KM: When I saw you at The Blue Note downbeat it was Ed Blackwell to the max!
VL: Yes, I think the same way during with Bobby Hutcherson, it was very When your musicality and your personal-
improvisation. Improvisation is really tight, after only a month of gigging. How ity are that strong, they can transcend
spontaneous composing—and sponta- do you, as a player, contribute to that? the equipment.
neous arranging. VL: Bobby asked me to recommend a KM: What are the hardest situations for
KM: How does that relate to the term piano player. I told him to call Ed Simon, you to overcome as a sideman?
"Post Motown Bop," the way you and since Ed works with me in Horizon. If VL: Bad acoustics. If you can't hear
Bobby Watson describe the music of you're familiar with the way someone things right it's hard to go for the
Horizon? plays, it does help to make the group nuances. You end up just trying to hear
VL: With Motown stuff, they would find sound tight. Bobby hired Ed, which each other. And out-of-tune pianos affect
the death groove for a particular bass caused me to be nervous. "What if Bobby the whole band's equilibrium. It makes
line, for that feeling—the right lick. With doesn't like him?" I thought. all the tonalities blurred.
jazz and improvisation, from each sec- KM: So even on your level you get ner- KM: You mentioned in the round table
article that you think the engineers in "What would so and so do in this case?" seriously listening to the music. We were
the '60s had the jazz drum sound down. Now I find my own ideas. part of the evolution of jazz in the '60s
What are some of the records that you KM: So you think this entire retro/trad and '70s. The cats born in the '70s are
feel had a good sound? movement is unhealthy for the growth of just now checking all that out. The
VL: I like the sound they got with Tony the music? Princes of the time—Tony Williams,
Williams on the Miles Herbie Hancock,
Davis records of the Wayne Shorter—they
'60s. Great cymbal went into a fusion
sounds. Great piano thing and the indus-
sound too. Back then try followed. But
they were still listening people were still
mostly with their ears, buying Kind Of
as opposed to relying Blue. When the in-
on the meters all the dustry was ready to
time. The state of the invest into straight-
art now—digital—is a ahead again, you had
very good, but artless, all these young cats
cold-blooded means of who were into it,
picking up the music. since they never
It has no mercy. Digital lived it. In a way, it's
clips the sound. Cym- nostalgia. Those ear-
bals may sound cleaner, ly cats—Diz, Miles,
but the full spectrum— Bird—they were
the attack, warmth, and rebels! These young
decay of the cymbal— guys now are not
gets clipped off. rebels...they're right
KM: I'd like to change wing. They're con-
subjects and talk about servative. The early
how popular traditional guys were into tak-
jazz has become. You ing chances. Cats
play a lot of those types now are wearing
of gigs, but you're also suits and playing the
very forward thinking. music very tradi-
Care to elaborate? tionally. These cats
VL: You know what? are not putting their
This is the truth: About own rebellion into it,
three or four years ago I they're playing nos-
stopped listening to talgia. It's a memori-
music. For years I was a al, like Beatlemania.
listening son of a gun. KM: The group you
You study all the mas- co-lead with Bobby
ters, but at some point Watson, Horizon,
you want to try and get seeks to incorporate
past that. What prompt- the past but not
ed it for me was seeing ignore the future.
an interview with Miles VL: What we're try-
Davis where he said, ing to do is to incor-
"Back when Bird and porate the rhythms
Diz were doing their of the past—the
thing, there were only two or three records VL: Dig this: There are three things Motown melodies and structures—and
you could cop to check their stuff out. The from the '60s that I hope never resur- put a jazz thing under it. What we're
rest was all being created." face: platform shoes, the disco beat, and doing is similar to what the old cats used
I used to listen to music for an hour bell bottoms. To the kids, platform shoes to do by adapting Broadway songs to
before a gig. That would impress a cer- are fresh, and they're making a come- jazz.
tain drummer's identity on me. Now, by back. To me, they're played out! It's like KM: You've become known as a compos-
not listening, I show up at the gig with that with the music. I was born in er in your own right. How does it happen
just me. I used to find myself thinking, 1950—by the time I was 11 or 12, I was that on many of your recording dates the
by Lauren Vogel
photos by Lissa Wales
"The Dean of Percussion," "the World's
Greatest Percussionist," "a living
legend in his own time," "Mr. Percus-
sion." These are some of the ways that
people around the world know Bobby
Christian. Anyone who was lucky
enough to have seen him perform saw
his passion for music. His unexpected
passing on December 31, 1991, at the
age of 80, saddened not only Bobby's
family, but percussionists and musi-
cians everywhere who had been touched
by his special musical talents and
engaging personality.
In what turned out to be his final
interview, at PASIC '91 in Anaheim,
California last November, Bobby
laughed and reminisced about his life
and career. Since then, many others
have contributed their thoughts on this
special man. This story will try to cap-
ture Bobby's own way of communicat-
ing—both verbally and musically.
 How did Bobby Christian become interested in
percussion? "One morning when I was about six
years old," remembered Mr. Christian, "I woke
up at about 5:30 and got two pieces of peanuts
and I started playing fast beats. [Bobby demon-
strated an intricate pattern of accented 16th notes
by drumming with his hands on his lap.] My
brother woke up and asked me what I was doing,
so I did that again. When he saw me drumming
like that, he went out that day and bought me a
set of drums."
This was also the same brother who was
responsible for his younger sibling's first lesson
in show business. "My real name is Sylvester,"
laughed Christian, "but my brother Bob decided
that it was not a good stage name. So he called
me Bobby!" And so did everyone else.
Christian began his drum studies with a teach-
er named George Petrone, who was himself a stu-
dent of Roy Knapp. "George told my mother that
he couldn't teach me anything else, and asked if
it was alright to send me to his teacher. So, lo and
behold, I went to study with Roy Knapp, which I
continued to do for about twenty years.

All you have to do is mention the name Bobby "Gramps and I shared a special kind of love should consist of 28 musicians and two drum-
Christian to anyone who has ever known him, that bonded us together, centering around mers! But Bobby Christian was an all-around
and their eyes light up. Each musician who music and percussion. I remember sitting right musician and true percussionist.
knows him well has a favorite story to tell in front of Gramps when he conducted his "In 1947, I had heard Bobby's name and
about an impossible chart that Bobby Sunday big band rehearsals at home, and knew his reputation. I had much to learn, so I
sightread perfectly, a lesson they took with wanting to be the drummer more than any- went to work for Bobby, helping him run the
him, a conversation they had with him at a thing in the world. I remember going on studio and school of percussion. Bobby gave
NAMM or PAS show, how much they learned numerous recording sessions with him and me so many opportunities. He was a giving
from playing in his band, how big his family watching him do whatever they asked him to person, not a taking person.
is.... "As one of my friends once said, 'It must do on the first take! He never missed. I "Bobby's talents were overwhelming. He
be great to have a family so big that you never remember how proud I was to finally play would always do the work of two and a half to
play without an audience.'" These words were drums with his big band; one of my dreams three players! He was kind of a shy person,
written by Bobby's eldest grandchild, John had come true. My youth is so full of experi- except when it came to music. Did you know
Nasshan, Jr., and read at his funeral on Jan- ences like these that I honestly feel special to he was writing music on December 24th for a
uary 4, 1992. Here are but a few comments be Bobby Christian's grandson." record date he was planning in April? Amaz-
from those who knew "Mr. Percussion." ing."
William F. Ludwig, Jr. (retired president of the
John Nasshan, Jr. (professional drummer/per- Ludwig Drum Company) Jim Catalano (marketing manager for Ludwig)
cussionist in Las Vegas, Nevada) "It was the fourth of January, 1992. At the "You don't appreciate what someone like
"If I were to be asked why I play drums and wake, we passed out music—a recessional Bobby Christian has to teach you until you
percussion, my answer would be simple: my written by Bobby himself. Under the direction really need it. For me, it came to fruition dur-
grandfather, Bobby Christian. I grew up sur- of Dick Schory, twenty drummers (including ing some of my Pops concerts. Knowing all
rounded by percussion. When the time came myself and my son, William F. Ludwig, III) per- about claves was more important than the
for me to have real teachers, Gramps told me formed the retreat from the cathedral on muf- intricacies of an Elliot Carter timpani solo. He
who to study with: Roy Knapp, Bob Tilles, Al fled drums in Bobby Christian's honor. 'saw beyond the trees' to teach you things that
Payson, Kathleen Kastner, Joe Morello, Henry "Following the service, two others and I per- you could use in a real musical career. No one
Adler—nothing but the best. I attribute having formed Harvey Firestone's drum trio Drum- was more professional to deal with than Bobby
good musical instincts to being part of Bobby mer's Farewell at the graveside. I was proud to Christian."
Christian's life. Gramps always said that the have participated in this last earthly salute."
fact that we play percussion and drums means Michael Balter (Chicago drummer/percussion-
nothing; it's whether or not we elevate the Herb Brochstein (president of Pro-Mark Cor- ist and president of Mike Balter Mallets)
craft and all the art that goes with it to a better poration) "One evening, Bobby gave me a call and
level. That's what really matters. "I always kidded Bobby that an army band asked if I would play a rehearsal the next
 "When I was 14," Bobby continued, "I graduated ing the Theatre, Paul came to the Hotel for supper. The
from grade school and I went into high school. But I day after he heard me play, Paul sent me a telegram ask-
started to make money so fast that I went to the school ing me to join his band. Did I want to join Paul White-
of hard knocks instead, if you know what I mean! A man? Absolutely!
bandleader by the name of Louie Panico heard me play "I joined Paul Whiteman's band in 1938, and he said
and invited me to join his band. So I played with him to me, 'Kid, all I can give you is 250 bucks a week.'
for five years at the Canton Tea Gardens in Chicago. Man, that was a lot of money then! Besides that, I
"After that I joined Sophie charged him 150 bucks for
Tucker's band for about two A scholarship fund in the name of Bobby Christian has every arrangement I was
years. Then I decided that was been established. Checks and charitable donations are doing. I ended up making
enough road work, so I went welcomed. For information about the scholarship(s), 450 to 500 bucks a week—a
back to Chicago and jobbed please contact The Bobby Christian Memorial Schol- big salary."
around a little bit. But by now it arship Fund, P.O. Box 2098, Oak Park, IL 60303, or Shortly after Bobby Chris-
was 1932 and I had gotten mar- call (708) 848-3250. tian joined the Paul White-
ried, so I needed to get a steady man Band, they spent almost
job someplace." four months playing the
Bobby continued, "I got a call from Eddie Varzo, a Casa Mariana Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by
gypsy fiddle player, who asked me to join his band. I another five months on the road. Then they returned
said, 'What do I want to join a gypsy band for?' I kept for a week at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, where Bobby
refusing, he kept calling...kept refusing...kept calling. was reunited with his family after a nine-month
Finally, I took the job, and it was a very nice job. absence. Vernyle, one of his young daughters, asked
"I was playing at the Bismarck Hotel in downtown Bobby's wife, Josephine, "Mommy, who's that man?"
Chicago when I joined him, and Paul Whiteman was continued on page 94
playing at the Palace Theatre. Every night he was play-

morning for him, since he had a double that only a student of Bobby Christian's would to miss him. We're all going to miss Bobby."
recording session. The rehearsal was for the be able to play this show!'
Chicago Emmy Show, which was to be on local "The next day I called Bobby and tried to Maurie Lishon (former proprietor of Frank's
TV. Bobby instructed me to mark the parts explain that it was not my idea to play the Drum Shop)
clearly so he could just walk in and play the show. I didn't want him to think that I was tak- "Bobby Christian, a living legend in his own
telecast. This was not an unusual request, ing away his gig. Bobby said to me, 'Michael, time, has now taken his rightful place in the
because Bobby had done it numerous times you gave me the greatest compliment a stu- Hall of Eternal Legends. I had a wonderful
before. dent can ever give a teacher. You have done brotherly relationship with him for almost half
"I was there for the 10:00 A.M. rehearsal me proud.' So I said, 'Hey, Bobby, now will you a century, and I have seen him perform per-
and introduced myself to the conductor. Bobby tell me how you played the bass drum on beat cussion gymnastics beyond description.
said that he would show up around 2:00 four?' His reply: 'Hell, no!' "For a couple of years, Bob and I were on
P.M.—plenty of time before the 8:00 P.M. tele- "This funny side of Bobby Christian is not the CBS staff at the same time. There are
cast. The parts were passed out and the theme one that many people knew. Having had the many funny stories of happenings, but there is
for the show appeared to be written for five good fortune of knowing him, I am proud of one that always comes up, still, after thirty
timpani. I only had two drums, 29" and 26" the fact that I was able to call him a friend. years. It was about the time Bobby had a solo
Ludwig Universal models. I questioned the Bobby, we all will miss you." finger cymbal cue. In those days, the individual
conductor about our being three drums short. I had to go up to the front mic'. In this studio,
was told that we were not, because the part Joe Calato (founder and president of J.D. the control booth was about eight feet above
was written for Bobby Christian! Calato Manufacturing Co., Inc.) the stage. Bobby had plenty of time, so he
"It wasn't until 5:30 P.M. when Bobby came "When I think of Bobby Christian, I remem- gracefully approached the mic and proceeded
running in. I explained the run-down and ber a man of great warmth, energy, and talent. to do an 'Oscar-winning' pose—eyes riveted on
talked over the show with him. Marty Ruben- This, of course, was reflected in his playing. I the booth. When the cue came, Bobby made
stein, the conductor, said, 'Bob, we have a remember Bobby running from one side of the one grandiose sweep with the finger cym-
problem.' Bobby said, 'What happened? Didn't stage to the other to play percussion parts in bals—and missed!
the kid play the parts?' Marty said, 'That's just Dick Schory's Percussion Pops Orchestra. He "They also talk about the time he was doing
it. He did play the parts and played them per- was the perfect musician and showman for the a multiple date and was running from one stu-
fectly. The acts want him to play the show.' job. dio to another with no time. He had an imme-
"Bobby became outraged, and I didn't know "But most of all I remember Bobby as a diate vibe cue, and as he charged in, there
what to do. The shouting match began great family man. His family was the most was a cover on the instrument. So he played
between the conductor and Bobby. Then important thing in his life. It's a very close fam- the part—cover and all—and no clinkers! That
Bobby stormed out of the hall, stopped at the ily, and every Sunday they would all was Bobby Christian."
doorway, turned around, and said with a huge gather—children and grandchildren—at Bobby
smile on his face, 'Hey Marty, I hope you know and Jo's home for dinner. They're really going
Inside
Paiste

By Rick Van Horn

Ah, Switzerland—land of alpine lakes, majestic peaks,
infallible watches, and delectable chocolate. You can
add one more item to that list: Paiste cymbals. The com-
bination of high technology and hand crafting that has
made other Swiss products famous is eminently present
in the Paiste operation.
The Paiste family is originally from Estonia. This
Baltic state declared its independence from Russia in
1918, and the resulting political chaos—along with
World War II—caused the family to move from one place
to another in Europe over the next two decades. Opera-
tions were shifted to Germany in 1945, and the company
still maintains that German factory for the manufacture
of gongs and several lines of cymbals. But in 1957 the
family relocated to the tiny Swiss village of Nottwil, a
picturesque farming community about a half-hour's
drive outside Lucerne. Along with its manufacturing
function, the Nottwil facility is Paiste's "corporate head-
quarters." I put that phrase in quotes because—
although it is modern in every sense of the word—with
its emphasis on craftsmanship and meticulous detail,
the Paiste operation just doesn't seem very...well...
corporate.
A visit to the Paiste plant in Nottwil means a visit with
Robert Paiste, who is the guiding force behind the com-
pany's cymbal development, and his brother Toomas,
who directs sales and marketing efforts. Robert opens
our discussion by describing Paiste's process for...
 Developing A Sound message starts to come over. "By then, we know all the different
"At Paiste," begins Robert, "we con- "Sometimes communication can be working steps that went into the manu-
sider that our business is making helped through existing cymbal sounds, facture of this one cymbal. At that point
sounds. The heart of a cymbal is a which may be similar to what is wanted. it's handed over to production, and they
sound. Sound is vibration, so the metal A drummer might say, 'It's almost like start to make cymbals in exactly the
has to be worked in such a way that it this, but higher'...or 'more dense'...or same manner as the prototype was made.
produces a vibration that develops into a 'livelier'...or 'dryer....' So then we start to This is the process we use to find and
sound—which requires a lot of practice get an understanding of the sound that is develop a sound. Sometimes it's a long
and understanding. Out of one piece of desired. process, but it's the one that we feel
metal, we could make endless variations "Now, through our experience at works the best."
of sounds. So our main task is to find working with metal, we generally have a In order to gain a true appreciation for
out—from listening to music and talking pretty good idea of how a new cymbal Paiste's developmental skills, it's impor-
with drummers—what sound is needed. should be made to get this certain kind tant to realize that the mathematical per-
What purpose should the cymbal have? of sound. So we start with a first proto- mutations of the variables of cymbal
What kind of sound should it produce to type. From that point, we take many design are staggering. If you wish to pro-
fit the total sound of the music—and steps—always correcting—until we duce a cymbal of an arbitrary size—and
give the drummer the right feeling to come to the point where we listen to the vary only six out of ten possible parame-
play on, so it's functional for him or her. cymbal and say, 'This is the sound it ters (bell size, bow shape, cymbal thick-
"Over the years, music has been should be.' Then we go back to the ness, hammering pattern, lathing,
changing. New trends are coming up, so drummers and ask, 'Is this what you etc.)—there are some sixty million
new sounds are needed to go with the thought of?' Sometimes we are right, potential varieties of that cymbal that
music. On top of this, drummers them- and sometimes the drummers say, 'Yes, could be created.
selves have new and different ideas about but....' We correct it again until we reach "Just consider trying to develop a
how they would like a cymbal to sound the point where we have a final prototype
and function. We have to find all of these for the sound.
things out. To do that, we spend a lot of
time talking with creative drummers all
over the world.
"Let's suppose that an idea comes up
for a totally different sound than has ever
been available. Drummers talk about it,
and then they tell us about it. They try to Following
machine
describe the sound—which is not easy.
hammer-
Every drummer might use different ing, every
words for the same sounds. But drum- cymbal
mers have a kind of understanding that gets
goes beyond words, and somehow the "fine-
This overhead view illustrates
how cymbals are hand-guided tuned" by
by the operator on the ham- hand.
mering machine.

Each cymbal is A lathe operator carefully

frequently shaves minute amounts of
checked during metal off a cymbal until the
Toomas Paiste (left) heads the compa- the hammering proper thickness is
ny's marketing efforts; brother Robert process to ensure achieved.
directs cymbal development. the proper profile.
heretofore-nonexistant sound," suggests The line featured a totally new cymbal feeling that since—from those times up
Robert, "using just imagination and ran- alloy. Why did the company develop this to now—all the different companies that
dom chance. Where would you start? You new base material? Why not stay with the made cymbals made them out of this
could never do it that way. That is why alloys that had been fine for all of their same alloy, any conceivable possibility of
developing a cymbal takes a lot of know- many lines up to that point? sound was already done; it would only be
how and tradition, as well as intuition. According to Robert, "We did it to find possible to repeat.
One has to have a goal first, and then new dimensions. Each alloy has a certain "We came to this understanding a long
know what it takes to try to get there." sound potential, and we wanted to time ago," Robert continues. "So in the
expand on our potentials. The oldest late '60s we found a different alloy. It was
The Paiste "Signature" Series known cymbal alloy is bronze, which is 8% tin—and is referred to as B8. We
In 1989 Paiste realized a major goal 80% copper and 20% tin—referred to in made our 2002 line out of it then; later
with the introduction of what has the industry as B20. It started in the Far we made the 3000 line from it as well.
become known as the "Signature" series East, and was used for gongs and cym- Eventually, after twenty years, we felt that
(officially known as the Paiste series). bals for thousands of years. We got the

The Sounds Of Paiste

Paiste's cymbal lines are extensive, and have undergone a number of changes in recent years. As a result, some drummers may be a bit
uncertain as to what each particular Paiste model is designed to do. We asked the company to give us a breakdown of the various lines cur-
rently available, along with brief descriptions of the cymbals in each one. They also provided information on what each cymbal line is made
of, and the time each was created (since the musical trends of a given period have a great deal of influence on cymbal sound development).
DESCRIPTION DECADE APPLICATION
PAISTE LINE 76 different models for situations ranging from delicate to powerful, Paiste 1990s Top Professional
("Signature including 13 different rides offering sounds from dark to bright Sound
Series") to mellow. Applicable to both live and studio settings. Alloy

SOUND Also made from Sound Alloy, this line emphasizes bright shimmer, and Paiste 1990s Professional
FORMULA features a range from bright to warm. Both Sound Formula lines apply Sound
to different musical styles. Alloy

SOUND With the same process ("Reflector Technology") as in 3000 and 2000 Paiste 1990s Professional
FORMULA Reflectors, these cymbals have the sound range of the regular Sound
REFLECTOR Formula, but, due to the finish, have more clarity and brilliance.

"CLASSIC" Designed to better match and blend with the amplified music SnBz8 1970s Professional
2002 of the 70s and to be more bright and cutting. Bronze
2

"CLASSIC " Reflects the music of its time, with little emphasis on amplification SnBz20 1960s Professional
Formula 602 and more on acoustic music. Sounds possess fewer overtones, Bronze
and are more controllable, dry, and full. From delicate to powerful.

3000 With similar qualities to the 2002, the 3000s have a wider fre- SnBz8 1980s Professional
quency range and more power and cutting brightness. Bronze

3000 RUDE An unlathed cymbal with a unique finish designed to produce a SnBz8 1980s Professional
raw, aggressive quality. Bronze

3000 A "mirror-like" finish giving the cymbal a unique visual effect and a SnBz8 1980s Professional
REFLECTOR more shiny, shimmering quality to the 3000 sound. Bronze

ALPHA Reminiscent of the 2002 or 3000, but with current musical qualities. SnBz8 1990s Semi-Pro to
Bronze Professional

2000 Almost a cross between the 3000 and 2002, but warmer than the SnBz8 1980s Semi-Pro to
3000. Bronze Professional

2000 Offered in black, red, and turquoise, Colorsounds tend to have less SnBz8 1980s Semi-Pro to
Colorsound sustain and are a bit dryer than standard 2000s. Bronze Professional

2000 Sound The "mirror-like" finish gives this cymbal a shiny, shimmering quality. SnBz8 1980s Semi-Pro to
Reflections Designed to have a good range from highs to lows; Bronze Professional
warmer than standard 2000s.

Finally, there is an entry-level cymbal line that is not the same in every country. At this point, in the U.S., these are Brass-Tones cymbals.

1 Patented original formula.

2 The first use of this alloy for the manufacturing of cymbals.
Cannon Mega V
Drumkit
by Rick Mattingly

This new line combines

quality and affordability.

Over the past few years, I've tested sev-

eral drumkits that were aimed at the
budget-conscious or student-level
drummer. But you haven't seen the
results of any of those tests in Modern
Drummer. The drums were such abso-
lute junk that there was no point in
bringing them to your attention. Even mahogany. The toms and snare drum are thud. The toms had clear, thin-weight
going into those tests with the attitude 6mm thick, while the bass drum is 7mm, Cannon heads on their bottoms, and the
that one has to expect lower quality with which is said to enhance lower tones. The overall sound was fairly dry, with just
a kit that sells for a lower price, I bearing edges were all sharp and enough sustain and tone to sound full.
couldn't bring myself to accept tom smooth—a feature you don't find on typi- The drums had no internal mufflers, and
mounts and cymbal stands that slipped cal budget drums. didn't need them. They might not project
no matter how much you tightened It's normal for inexpensive kits to have well on a live gig in a large room without
them, rims that wouldn't fit over stan- fewer lugs per drum; that's one way of being miked, but they would be great for
dard Remo heads without wrinkling keeping costs down. But the Cannon practice at home or in moderate volume
them, tension rods that didn't thread drums do not skimp in this regard. The settings, and might not sound bad in a
properly into their casings, shell cover- snare and bass drums each have ten per studio.
ings with air pockets, pedals that head, the floor tom has eight, and the I have to question the use of the Dead
squeaked and rattled, and so on. rack toms have six. In addition, the lugs Head on the snare drum, however. It was
So I was leery when we received a kit are isolated from the shells by rubber just too dry for that particular drum,
from Cannon Percussion, said to be gaskets, as are the tom mounts and spurs. making it sound overly muted and tubby,
aimed at the drummer on a budget. But Another feature not usually found on and not allowing it to produce a good
as soon as I began removing the drums budget kits involved the bass drum ten- "crack." The other problem with the
from their boxes, I could tell that they sion screws: Most of them were the typi- snare drum was the strainer. The lever
were better constructed than other low- cal T-handle design, but the two at the was not especially smooth, and when the
cost kits I'd seen, and the more I bottom of each head were drumkey-oper- adjustment screw was tightened just
checked out their features and sound, ated. enough to avoid slapback and rattle from
the more impressed I became. In short, Budget drums are often fitted with the snares, it prevented the snares from
I've finally found an economically priced cheap heads, but again Cannon has opted completely dropping away from the lower
kit that I can recommend. for better quality. Each drum's batter side head when in the "off" position. Still, the
was fitted with a Cannon Dead Head, drum seemed to be well-constructed, and
The Drums which is similar to a Remo Pinstripe. I was able to get an acceptable sound out
I received the five -piece Mega V outfit, These heads have an extremely dry sound of it. With a different batter head and a
consisting of a 16x22 bass drum, 16x16 that enhances the impact. On the bass better strainer, it could be a fine drum.
floor tom, 11x12 and 12x13 rack toms, drum, it was combined with a black front The kit I received had a white covering
and a 6 1/2 x 14 snare. All of the shells, head with a hole in it. By simply inserting that was smooth and showed no defects.
including the snare drum, are 10-ply a small pillow, which I positioned against Drums are also available in red or black.
wood, using a combination of maple and the batter, I was able to get a solid, meaty Each drum has a round logo badge with a
stamped serial number, which can come with Cannon's 1000 Series hardware, loose, and it sometimes takes a bit of jig-
in handy for insurance purposes. which I also received for review. This gling to get them lined up properly. Still,
hardware is extremely heavy-duty, and the once you do that, the holders work well.
Hardware bass drum and hi-hat pedals both feature
The Mega V kit came equipped with more sophisticated adjustment controls. Price
Cannon 800 Series hardware, which This hardware would not be out of place The Cannon Mega V drumkit, as
would be considered medium-weight by with a much more expensive set of reviewed here, with 800 Series hardware
today's standards. The snare, hi-hat, and drums. (bass drum and hi-hat pedals, a snare
cymbal stands feature double-braced As for the hardware on the drums drum stand, and one straight cymbal
legs, nylon bushings at the joints, and themselves, it is reasonably solid and stand) lists for $869. If you want the same
drumkey-operated memory locks. Instead sturdy. The tom holders feature an omni kit with 1000 Series hardware, add $100.
of traditional wing nuts, Cannon has style ball-and-socket that offers great lati- All Cannon drums and hardware have a
levers that quickly release or secure the tude in positioning. There is a large T- one-year limited warranty, which will give
collars. The levers hold the various tubes handle screw that locks it in place, but any manufacturing defects plenty of time
in position reasonably well, but one must since it is on the same side of the holder to assert themselves.
use the memory locks. Without the locks, as the mounting arm, adjustment can be No, these are not the finest drums I've
a couple of the stands slipped a little bit awkward, depending on how the drum is ever seen, and no, the Cannon logo might
when I pushed down on them. positioned. But once it is adjusted, you not carry as much prestige as some of the
With most budget kits, the single worst shouldn't have to fool with it again, as the other names that are out there. But you
feature is the bass drum pedal, which is memory clamps will allow you to simply could easily spend just as much money
often virtually useless. Not so the Cannon slide the toms into position and lock (or maybe more) and get a whole lot less.
pedal. It has a chain linkage, double them in place with a single wing nut on The drums sounded good and the con-
springs, a solid, non-slip footboard, and the tom-mount casing. struction was solid, with several features
spurs to hold it in place. It's smooth, fast, Actually, maybe I shouldn't have said that you would only expect on a much
and quiet, and the action is adjustable. "simply." Inside the mounts on the toms, more expensive set. With most low-priced
The hi-hat pedal was equally smooth and which are identical to the mounts for the kits, I would have trouble even saying that
solid. I would have no problem using floor tom legs, the metal collar that the you get what you pay for. But with these
either of these pedals professionally. tom arms (or floor tom legs) have to go drums, you'll get more than the cost
The Mega V kit can also be ordered through can swivel out of position when would seem to imply.

Brady 5x12
She-Oak
Snare Drum
by Rick Van Horn

This little package has

a lot to offer.
When I reviewed the Brady 7x12 jarrah
block drum back in the September '90
issue of MD, I was impressed by its com-
bination of projection and tonal range. versatile enough to be used as a primary same opinion. The answer is no—this is
Along with cutting highs, it had lows that snare. When I received the new Brady not a drum for all purposes. But taken on
were surprising—considering the 12" 5x12 she-oak block snare, I immediately its own merits, what a sweet drum it is!
diameter. As a result, I stated that it was wondered if I was going to develop the The 5x12 she-oak drum wouldn't work
for a primary snare because it really thick, reflective, block-construction shell excellent; I used the drum for brushwork
favors high frequencies. It just doesn't really enhances the high-mid to high-end and really enjoyed the sound—although
have the additional lows to make it an all- range. The 12" diameter of the drum also the 12" head doesn't give much area to
purpose drum. But it has some signifi- helps to produce a high starting pitch. work with. When the snares are off, the
cant differences from other high-range But the fact that the drum is wood, and hard, reflective shell gave the drum a very
drums I've evaluated—most of which that it has a 5" shell depth, gives its sound clean, warm timbale sound—woody,
were piccolos. a little more body than you might expect. rather than brassy. This is another fea-
While some piccolos are 13" in diame- It isn't that the sound is lower in pitch; ture that would make it excellent as an
ter, most are 14", which is the same as the it's just that it's more complete—less accent drum.
d i a m e t e r of more "standard" snare thin—than that of a piccolo drum. As Brady workmanship and finishing are
drums. But their shells are shallow— such, where you might consider using a excellent, and the drum is quite attractive
usually 4" or less. As a result, the pitch is piccolo—for funky accents or secondary in its natural finish. Its size is a plus for
high, the snare sensitivity is extreme, the snare beats combined with a deeper pri- convenient placement on your kit, too. If
attack is enhanced, and the sound cuts. mary snare—this drum would give you you appreciate more than one snare voice
But the flip side of that is that most pic- the same amount of cut, but a little more in a drumset, you should check out the
colos have a certain "thinness" in their support beneath it. Brady 5x12 she-oak block snare drum.
tonality; there isn't much beneath that Like all Brady drums, the 5x12 she-oak It's hand-made and imported from Aus-
initial cut. snare is fitted with low-mass tubular lugs tralia, so it isn't cheap; it lists for $837.
The 5x12 Brady, on the other hand, for maximum shell resonance. (And reso- Brady has just switched its U.S. distribu-
gets its high-end projection from the nant it is; I found that a Zero Ring was tor to Drum Partner USA, 2554 Lincoln
properties of she-oak, an Australian hard- called for to control the overring.) The Blvd., Suite 1072, Marina Del Rey, CA
wood that is quite a bit harder than jarrah snare throwoff is simple and efficient. 90295, (213) 452-4472. You can contact
and many times harder than maple. The When the snares are on, sensitivity is them for information on sales locations.

LP Jingle
clamp that tightens a
collar around the
mounting rod, rather
than pressing a bolt

Things against it. It proved

very secure under
all playing circum-
Well, what would you call stances. The sound of
a review of three different the jingles was crisp
and clear, and pro-
tambourine-like items when
jected well over my
one looks absolutely nothing band's amps. I really
like a tambourine, and the enjoyed using it as an
other two only come close? alternative ride-pat-
tern sound source.
For input on the
The Cyclops hand-held Cyclops, I
The Cyclops gets its name from its consulted with Adri-
squashed-circle shape (which looks like enne Ostrander, a
an eye...get it?), and comes in either very talented and busy
hand-held or mountable versions. It's show and classical
made of a durable synthetic material and percussionist in the New York area. She Adrienne also felt that the grip was
has a nicely rounded edge that makes it informed me that the shape of the "ergonomically designed, giving the play-
more comfortable to play by hand and Cyclops made it nicely balanced and er a more comfortable feel of the instru-
less damaging to drumsticks when quite comfortable to play. The fact that ment." As far as the sound went, she
played on a kit. (The material is much the grip was on the outside of the cir- mentioned that the plastic body and
harder than wood; so don't worry about cumference gave added leverage, aiding high-pitched jingles on the Cyclops cre-
damaging the Cyclops.) The mounted in the performance of certain tricky tam- ated a sound that might be a bit too
version is equipped with an excellent bourine parts in some classical material. bright for some of the classical reper-
toire, but would work well for hand per- soloing). They're obviously a bit heavier drummer to "play" a tambourine with
cussionists performing in pop concerts, and more cumbersome than a pair of his or her foot within drumset patterns,
some Broadway shows, and other stage sticks, but a bit of practice made them freeing up both hands. Performance-
applications. surprisingly easy to manage around the wise, the Ring's single row of jingles
Both versions of the Cyclops are avail- kit. I experimented with using both (as seems to produce less unwanted "jin-
able in black, red, or white. Each is with sticks), and with using one at a gling" than double-row items do. I found
priced at $36.95. time—switching hands for effect. I was that I could "chick" my hi-hat pedal at
• Rick Van Horn and Adrienne Ostrander able to get several interesting ride-pat- low dynamics without making the Jingle
tern sounds going when using a Jingle Ring sound, which was not the case with
Jingle Sticks Stick in my right hand, and a nifty in- other mountable tambourines I've tried.
Here's a new twist on the tambourine between-the-backbeats pattern when The Ring's sound, though, still cut
theme: long, straight shafts holding six using one in my left hand. through the din of my band quite nicely
pairs of jingles at one end and fitted with LP stresses that their method of when I wanted it to. Also, its light weight
sponge-rubber grips at the other. Jingle securing the pins into the Jingle Sticks makes it appealing, since heavier items
Sticks are intended to be handled as a (as well as the Cyclops) ensures that they significantly change hi-hat action when
drumstick would be, either singly or won't come out, thus preventing the loss mounted on pull rods. The list price of
together, and either alone (in the air or of any of the jingles. They also stress the the Jingle Ring had not yet been estab-
against one's leg) or striking some other durability of the plastic "stick" portion. I lished at press time, but should be in the
instrument (drum, cymbal, block, etc.) must admit, the playing I did didn't leave neighborhood of $20. Contact your local
at the same time. They're made of the a mark on 'em (and I walloped drums, LP dealer for further information.
same synthetic material as the Cyclops drum rims, and cymbals), so I would • Adam J. Budofsky
is. tend to have faith in their longevity.
For the hand percussionist, Adrienne Available only in black, Jingle Sticks list
offers this evaluation: "The use of the for $27.95 per pair.
Jingle Sticks allows one to execute fast • Rick Van Horn and Adrienne Ostrander
passages and rolls more easily because
both hands are involved in playing, Jingle Ring
instead of using one hand just to hold LP's Jingle Ring is designed solely for
the instrument—as with a conventional mounting on hi-hat pull rods. Since it
tambourine. Rolls can also be played by isn't intended to be struck by a stick or
shaking in either a horizontal or vertical hand, it is a smaller, lighter, and more
fashion." delicate instrument than the Cyclops and
The Jingle Sticks might not be the other instruments of its ilk. Also of note
optimum instrument for classical play- is that the Jingle Ring features only one
ers, since, as Adrienne puts it, "Although row of jingles (the Cyclops has two), and
the convenience of having a Jingle Stick it mounts onto hi-hat pull rods from a
in each hand is desirable in order to central axle, rather than from a clamp
facilitate complex rhythmic patterns, the jutting off its p e r i m e t e r (like the
upstroke needed to begin such playing Cyclops).
produces an unwanted sound that The prototype Jingle Ring LP sent us
results in inaccuracy. And as with the was a bit too delicate; the pins holding
Cyclops, the bright sound might be bet- the jingles bent or snapped off easily.
ter suited to pop applications than to the Happily, LP says they're aware of the
classical repertoire." On the other hand, problem, and the final version will have
Adrienne felt that Jingle Sticks might be stronger, chrome-finished pins. Even
excellent as an educational tool, since with the new design, though, you might
"the hard plastic construction allows want to think about storing the Jingle
them to be passed among children dur- Ring away from heavy hardware, or in the
ing young people's concerts without con- box it comes in, since its design makes it
cern." inherently susceptible to getting snagged
My own testing determined that the and perhaps bent on other pieces.
Jingle Sticks offer a unique new sound The Jingle Ring basically does what
for drumset applications (especially it's supposed to, which is to allow a
Double Bass Ideas:
Part 1
by Rod Morgenstein
Attention double-bass players, and single- Do the same with the following examples.
bass players thinking about converting:
There are many applications for using two
bass drums in beats and fills, songs and
solos, and j a z z / r o c k / f u s i o n and hard
rock/metal.
The most common use of double bass is
probably as a constant barrage of 8th or 16th notes played foot-
to-foot, with some kind of backbeat-oriented hand pattern on
top. A straight-ahead 16th-note beat would look and sound as
follows:

The following exercises take a slightly different approach to

getting the hands acquainted with their foot counterparts, and
can be used effectively to enhance beats and solos. Let's begin
with the feet playing alternating single strokes (starting on the
right foot), with the hands doing the same:

Assuming you are right-handed and lead with your right

foot, all of the 8th notes will be played with the right hand and
the right foot; all "e"s and "a"s will be played with the left
hand and the left foot. Get in touch with which hand and foot
play simultaneously, and make sure they play the bass drum
and cymbal or bass drum and snare at precisely the same time.
A flam sound is not the desired effect.
Play the following accented 16th-note pattern, with the
accented cymbal note on the bell of the cymbal.

Now play only the accented rhythm:

Next time we'll explore constant 16th-note beats in triplet

and 6/8 patterns.
Frank Vilardi
Songwriters' Choice
by Charles Levin

A
sk Frank Vilardi what drummers he listens to, and he'll start
listing bands and songwriters instead: Crowded House,
XTC, Donald Fagen, Steely Dan, Richard Thompson, John
Hiatt, Peter Gabriel, Sting. It's not a conscious reaction, and
he does love talking drums. But great songwriting appeals to
him more than pyrotechnical drumming displays.
"A band—that's what I really like," says Frank. "I like Manu
Katche, but it's more that I like the people he plays with. Manu
just happens to play with Peter Gabriel, but I would like Peter
Gabriel anyway. Manu plays with Sting too, but I would like
Sting anyway. It's just an added attraction that they're using
drummers who really enhance their music. I've already gone
through my 'listening to the drummers for drummer's sake' demos, and you could actually make a living at it," says Frank.
period. Now I'm listening to the drummers to see what they do "We were doing demos and rehearsals by day and gigs at
to make a good record." night."
Frank combines his passion for great songs with chops, More calls from city-based artists and groups in the demo
taste, dynamics, and creativity to generate his own musical scene—and the desire to do more recording work—prompted
voice. His style is characterized by a deep groove, succinct, Frank to move to Manhattan in 1980. He soon began playing
well-defined phrases, and the ability to stretch beyond a back- regularly at JP's, a Manhattan showcase for original groups.
beat when called for. Drumming behind local New York songwriters like Joy Askew,
New York bassist Mike Visceglia (Vilardi's rhythm-section Joe Salvo, and Jane Barnett eventually caught the ears of pro-
partner in Suzanne Vega's band) describes Frank's playing as a ducers Elliot Scheiner (who used him on a Phoebe Snow
reflection of his personality. "He's one of the most genuine, album) and Phil Ramone (who called him for the Body Rock
earthy, real people I know. He's a very spontaneous person and movie soundtrack), as well as those of songwriter Desmond
player. He'll go for different things each night. Frank's groove is Child.
deep, but he's not afraid to embellish it—especially in New Doors to the world of jingles opened for Vilardi with the
York, where the groove is sacrosanct. With some players, some of onset of drum machines, Simmons pads, and MIDI. One of the
the notes feel jumbled or rough. With Frank, everything fits fat." first drummers in New York to embrace the new technology,
Having climbed the ranks of the original music scene in New Frank immediately picked up work renting out his Simmons kit
York for 15 years, Frank has lent his abilities to the likes of the to other players. But soon he was getting calls to play as well as
Roches, Grace Pool, Curtis Stigers, Willie Nile, Joy Askew, program machines. Phil Ramone tapped him again to trigger
Phoebe Snow, Judy Collins, Jane Barnett, and Buskin & Bat- samples on Billy Joel's "Keeping The Faith" single.
teau. In 1989, he successfully auditioned for the drum chair in Soon Frank was working in twelve bands at one time. The
Vega's band. Although some may regard this as merely a pres- creative demands were rigorous; he would have to learn and
tigous road gig, Frank is more than an invisible sideman. In the come up with parts for many new original songs each week.
past, Vega has recorded with the same ensemble she tours Steve Gadd became a big influence on Frank. "With Gadd, you
with. So in doing the Days Of Open Hand album, Frank were always aware of the drums, but they never detracted from
became part of a real band experience. On the record, his play- what was going on in the music," he says. "It was the first time
ing runs the gamut from no-nonsense driving backbeats to that you were hearing fine songwriting, like Steely Dan or Paul
unconventional, almost surrealistic ideas. Simon, combined with creative drumming—as opposed to the
rank Vilardi broke into the New York music scene in the late Ringo/Charlie Watts thing, which is laying it down, very simple
'70s when he started gigging regularly in local bands—and and straight-ahead. It was an approach that I was able to
recording lots of demos for songwriters and singers. "This understand very well, because it came from the same rudimen-
was when people were still using rhythm sections to do tal background that I came form."
 In 1986, after years of countless demos, original bands, and band," says Frank. "She comes up with the basic songs, but
jingles, Frank joined up with the band Grace Pool. According to she doesn't tell anybody what to play, so there's a lot of free-
Frank, "Grace Pool combined a lot of technology with live dom. She sets up the mood more than anything else.
drums. On stage everything was live, but the bass, percussion, "We would sit in the rehearsal room and turn on the cassette
and some keyboards were in a box." deck," Frank continues, "and we'd jam on the verse of a tune
For Frank, playing live with a sequenced bass line was a chal- for two hours and just record the whole thing. If we were hav-
lenge. "You have to try to make the time feel move a little bit," ing problems with it, we'd just play and I'd play every idea that
Frank says. "With a bass player, you can move together in front came into my head. Sometimes, something that went by in five
of or behind the beat to create a natural ten- seconds would end up being the basis of a
song."
"Play it the
sion and release. With the sequencer in per-
fect time like that, you have to do it yourself "I write on the acoustic guitar, without the
without getting outrageously busy." drums in mind," says Vega. "So the drummer
Between the band's 1986 Reprise debut way you is in the hot spot. I don't want him to play too
Grace Pool, and their 1990 release, Where We hard and heavy, because he'll trample the sub-
Live, the audition for Suzanne Vega fell in would play it. tleties. But he can't be too weak, because the
Frank's lap. In auditioning for Suzanne, Frank strength of the music will be lost."
says, social skills were every bit as important Sometimes "When the vocal is happening, you have to be
out of the way but still interesting," Frank
they don't
as playing skills. In fact, personnel problems
had led to the opening of the drum chair in adds. "The drumming is a lot more challeng-
ing than people think. She likes the band to
like what
the first place.
"A group relies on chemistry," says bass rock, and she doesn't mind if we hit hard. But
player Visceglia, who has been with Vega for you really have to create a balance as to how far
seven years. "Suzanne relies on getting a the previous you can go and still keep it within the realm of
reaction about people on a visceral level as the song."
well as a cerebral level, especially when you guy played Frank's approach differs on some of his
spend as much time on the road as we do. other gigs. He and bassist Visceglia accompany
The endearing thing about Frank is that he's on the saxophonist/singer/songwriter Curtis Stigers
very educated as a musician but maintains a while on break from Suzanne. Here the job is
street sense about him. That immediately record." to recreate John Robinson's and Jeff Porcaro's
cuts through the ice and establishes an infor- drum parts from Stigers' album. For this situa-
mal relationship." tion, Frank says he must adapt some of the
The audition itself was not a typical cattle- parts. "Those guys are great players and they
call. The band had been told to learn three or have great grooves, but a lot of it is pretty
four of Suzanne's previous tunes, and then straight-ahead in terms of what's there.
jammed for an hour. Frank's own personal They've already come up with the parts and
attitude toward auditions paid off here. "You their own fills. I can't cop every one of their
have to learn a bunch of new tunes, and you fills. It's not necessary, anyway, and every now
don't know what people are going to expect," and then I can come up with my own thing."

B
he says. "The best thing to do when you're auditioning is to esides being creative in a live setting, Frank enjoys the chal-
play it the way you would play it. Don't learn every lick. Don't lenge of the studio. For most of the recording sessions he
pay that much attention to the exact tempo, counting it off like does, Frank brings about six snare drums. His main choices
you're copying the record. Sometimes they don't like what the are a 5 1/2" Pearl MLX, a Noble & Cooley wood 3 1/2" piccolo,
previous guy played on the record. Be yourself, and then you'll and a brass Ludwig 5 1/2" 1920s model. He augments these
do your best." with an old 5" Slingerland, a 5 1/2" Gretsch for brush work, and
"The audition went really well," recalls Vega. "But it wasn't a 6 1/2" Pearl brass Free-Floating. His stage kit is a Pearl MLX.
until the first day of rehearsal that I knew we had gotten some- Frank uses a 16x22 kick and either 6 1/2 x 10 and 8x12 or 8x12
one real good. Frank had a real instinct for what I was looking and 11x14 rack toms. His floor tom is a 16x16. On all the
for; he wasn't just a studio musician with stock parts. He can drums he uses Evans heads: the Genera EQ3 bass drum sys-
play anything and never stops working on the approaches. We tem, Genera tom heads, and Genera HD snare heads. Frank's
were on the road for eight or nine months, and Frank was try- Sabian cymbal setup is (left to right): 13" Fusion Hats, a 10"
ing new things six months into the tour." AA splash, a 17" or 18" AA crash, an 8" AA splash, a 16" AA
The relaxed and informal feeling of the audition is typical of crash, a 22" HH ride, 14" Fusion Hats on an x-hat, and an 18"
Vega's ensemble approach. "With Suzanne, it's more like a HH China.
 Frank uses a cable hi-hat on his immediate left instead of a
conventional hi-hat stand. By mounting it on a Pearl drum
rack, he says there's greater flexibility in the angle of the hat. "I
don't have to keep my left elbow way up in the air when I'm
playing with matched grip," he says. "Also, it allows my right
hand to lighten up in the mix—allowing more tip on the cym-
bals—and causes less bleed of the hi-hat into the snare drum
mic'."
For electronics, Frank's rack houses an Akai S1000 HD sam-
pler, an Eltekon (removable 45-megabyte hard-drive cartridge),
a Roland SRV-2000 reverb, TOA D4 and D4E mixers, and a
patch bay. He triggers the sounds from a drumKAT and two
Dauz pads. For programming, he uses his Akai MPC-60. On
Curds Stigers' gigs it plays sequenced percussion tracks as
well as sampled rhythm guitar parts.
At 41, Frank Vilardi shows no signs of slowing down. In addi-
tion to practicing and studying, he's also formed his own
production company with New York bassist Seth Glassman.
Frank is also considering trying his hand at songwriting. To
Frank there's no end in sight to who he'd like to play with. "I'd
love to work with one of the Beatles—to come full circle to my
favorite music," he says with a laugh. "I would also love to work
with Robbie Robertson and Sting. And I would love to have
Chester Thompson's gig with Genesis and Phil Collins. I feel
that at this point I can handle almost any gig that's thrown my
way—and that's a good feeling to have."
Developing Original Rock Beats
by Nick Forte
As a drumset instructor, perhaps two of Ghost Notes And Toms
the most often asked questions I get from The next example shows some ghost notes on the snare, but
students of rock drumming are: "How do I don't forget that the backbeat hits are solid rimshots.
come up with original drum parts that
would work well with a band?" and "How
and where do the pros come up with those
fantastic beats and licks?" The following
suggestions and musical examples will lead you through the
steps that many top rock drummers follow when figuring out Next is an example of where toms could be utilized.
unique, workable parts.
Let's begin with a few basic concepts. First, if you want a
rock beat to work well (musically), it is never a bad idea to
include one or more of the rhythmic elements inherent in the
tune. Second, in creating original beats, try (whenever possi-
ble) to limit the constant succession of quarter, 8th, and 16th
notes on the ride or hi-hat cymbals. So many tunes have relied
heavily on this type of cymbal work that varying it up can result Playing With A Flowing Physical Movement
in a fresh feel. Third, to help form new concepts, try to incor- This is where practicing the musical examples in this article
porate a tom or two in the construction of a beat. Very often comes in. Practice each example in the order they appear.
those secondary snare-drum notes (ghost notes) can be moved Don't go to the next unless you can play the last one with the
to a small tom with surprising results. Finally, consider the kind of freedom that indicates a certain mental and physical
axiom "form follows function." If you're looking for a beat that finesse.
grooves with a flowing momentum, avoid anything that creates
physical tension or unnatural movements.
Now let's put the concepts outlined above one at a time, in
the order they appear.

Inherent Musical Elements

Let's say that our tune has a real punchy electric bass line,
like this:

Let's add quarter notes on the hi-hat (played with the foot),
bass drum, and a solid rimshot on the snare.

Interesting Cymbal Work

This is where things start to get happening. I've decided on
patterns using the bell of the ride cymbal and also an open hi-
hat hit. Play the hi-hat hit with the left hand. (If you are playing
quarters with the hi-hat foot, the open stick/hit sound should
automatically dampen correctly on the third beat of the bar.)

With the guidelines mentioned, hopefully you'll be able to

come up with your own interesting parts.
A Brief History struction whatsoev-
er. However, this

Of Fibes Drums
design presented
some serious prob-
lems. The shell
was extremely brit-
tle, and had to be
by Bob Owen cut down from the
intended size of
The history of modern drum-making 5x14 to 4x14 be-
would not be complete without an cause of curing
account of a little-known company—in problems encoun-
business from 1965 to 1977—known as tered with the resin
Fibes. Although never an industry giant process.
like Ludwig or Slingerland, Fibes was a Following this
well-respected and innovative company. first attempt, about
Fibes owes its history to an inventive a dozen snare
drummer named Bob Grauso, who first drum shells were
became interested in the art of making formed in the latex
drums in 1960. It all started when Bob's mold—all of which
father, also a drummer, built a drumset turned out well and
for himself and a snare drum for Bob. to the intended Bob Grauso, founder of the Fibes Drum Co.
This example inspired Bob to experi- size of 5x14. These drums, like the first, them to the exterior of a spinning mold,
ment on methods of improving the were made entirely of solid resin, and which somewhat resembled a lathe. After
sound quality of existing drums. He dis- were outfitted with various brands of applying the fibrils to the mold, an outer
covered that filing the bearing edges of hardware. In 1963 and 1964, another pro- ring was clamped over the outside of the
various snare drum shells resulted in cess (which involved inserting a fiber- fibrils to compress and shape the fiber-
increased resonance. In addition, he glass screen into a mold and then apply- glass material. The shell was allowed to
experimented with coating the wood ing resin into the mold) was explored, cure before removal of the clamp.
interiors of the drums with different then abandoned. At that point in time, For the construction of bass drums
types and amounts of finishes. At that Bob's drum-making operation was still and tom-toms, a different process was
point, Bob was mainly concerned with in the research and development used. This method was known as The
investigating new ideas in order to gain phase—with Bob's friends being the Spinning Centrifugal Mold Method. By
more knowledge on the subject—and only recipients of his drums. However, applying fiberglass matt and resin to the
also to satisfy personal musical require- history was to change shortly. Between interior of spinning aluminum molds, a
ments. His work, which lasted from 1960 1964 and 1965, Bob discovered a totally shell was formed. The aluminum molds
to 1963, was intended as a private new process for constructing fiberglass were of the same diameters as the
endeavor only. But as friends began to drumshells, which was to become the desired drumshell diameters.
take notice of what Bob had achieved, "Fibes method." Bob Grauso began commercial pro-
many insisted that he customize their The new method was based on the duction in 1965—in 25 square feet of
snare drums. fact that a structural approach to build- rented floor space in a Long Island, New
Following the excellent results ing fiberglass drums did not produce a York building. Rapid expansion led to the
obtained by applying polyester resin to resonant drum tone. Bob discovered that utilization of over half of this original
the interiors of wood drum shells, con- the amount of resin content (versus the building. During this same year, the
structing an entire snare drum shell out strand or cloth reinforcement) had a name of Fibes was chosen. The name
of fiberglass seemed to be the next logi- direct effect on the tone of a drum. Basi- actually began as a pun, when a family
cal step. In 1963, a latex mold was creat- cally, two processes were employed for friend introduced it to Bob. This friend
ed to construct Bob's first fiberglass the construction of the drumshells. The reasoned that the name possessed a
drum. After much effort and research, first, known as Filament Winding, was '"60s touch" that would appeal to the hip
this first snare drum was built entirely of used exclusively for snare drum con- mood of the era. The official company
solid resin. In other words, no reinforce- struction. This method involved soaking name became The Fibes Drum Corpo-
ment or cloth was used in the shell con- fiberglass fibrils in resin and applying ration. During the company's early peri-
od, drums were available in three covered Billy Cobham, Bobby Colomby (of Blood,
finishes: chrome, antique brass, and Sweat & Tears), and Buddy Rich.
antique copper. Outfitted with an inven- (Although Buddy endorsed other drums,
tive style of hardware, Fibes drums he often insisted on using a Fibes snare
offered drummers a true alternative. drum.) Many of the great drum sounds of
In 1970, The Fibes Drum Corporation the '60s and '70s owe a good deal to Bob
was acquired by the C. F. Martin Compa- Grauso and the Fibes Drum Company.
ny and moved into its own facility on Although Fibes was liquidated in 1977,
Long Island. Bob Grauso became vice this story does have a happy ending. In
president of the Fibes Division. Drums 1978, Jim Corder purchased all of the
were now available with more exotic color dies, molds, and tooling equipment for
finishes in addition to the original three Fibes drums. The Martin Company
colors. In 1972, clear Plexiglas drum- retained the Fibes name. In creating the
shells were offered in addition to the Corder Drum Company, Jim and his fam-
fiberglass shells; black and frosted Plexi- ily established a first-rate operation—but
glas shells were added to the line in 1973. with some changes from the original
In 1975, the company moved to Easton, Fibes concept. Corder no longer uses
Pennsylvania. This move was to signify fiberglass and Plexiglas to manufacture
the beginning of the end for Fibes drums. drumshells, but instead uses maple wood.
Because of financial problems, the C. F. And although much of the original Fibes
Martin Company decided to liquidate the hardware design is still employed, Jim
Fibes Drum Division, leaving only a incorporated changes and added some of
skeleton crew to maintain operations his own inventions to the design. Located
until a final solution could be worked out. in Huntsville, Alabama, the Corder Drum
Bob Grauso left this same year. Company continues on in the unique tra-
Twelve years seems like a short lifespan dition of Fibes.
for a drum company as unusual and
successful as Fibes. Fibes drums were The author wishes to thank Bob Grauso and
played by many top drummers, including James Corder for their time and assistance.
Continuous Roll Study
In 16th Notes
by Joe Morello
Transcribed by Keith Necessary

The following exercise incorporates all rolls, from three-stroke to seventeen-stroke. Starting with the double-stroke roll in 16th
notes (8th-note hand motion), play each roll until it sounds good and even, with clean accents and relaxed muscles. In between
each roll, return to the 16th notes at the beginning of the exercise. Relax, then proceed to the next roll without stopping.
You can split the exercise up into measured sections or into continuous sections. This exercise builds great endurance and
control when done as a whole. It also gives you the rolls in a time frame, so you will be more likely to use them naturally in an
improvised situation. Be sure to try each exercise all four ways, including doubles and singles, and leading with both the left and
right hands. Also, try using the previous drumset suggestions when doing this exercise. My student/friend Keith Necessary can
play this exercise at 250 beats per minute to the quarter note. If he can do it, so can you.

Three-Stroke

Alternate Sticking

Four-Stroke

Alternate Sticking
 Five-Stroke

Alternate Sticking

Six-Stroke

Seven-Stroke

Eight-Stroke

Nine-Stroke

Ten-Stroke
 Eleven-Stroke

Twelve-Stroke

Thirteen-Stroke

Fourteen-Stroke

Fifteen-Stroke

Sixteen-Stroke

Seventeen-Stroke
Writing Drum Fills That Work
by Dean M. Gottschalk

At the point when my students have gained First, try a fill that correctly fills up the measure rhythmical-
sufficient single-surface rhythmical skills ly and might sound great standing alone, but when played fol-
and basic drumset coordination, I inten- lowing our timekeeping pattern, somehow doesn't quite fit.
tionally give them an open-ended assign-
ment. This involves having them rework
five or six groove-oriented, single-measure
timekeeping patterns into four-measure phrases. (A good
source for this type of material can be found in method books
like Charles Dowd's A Funky Primer.) To outline these phras- Now try one that builds on the rhythm and sound patterns of
es, I instruct them to insert a rhythm at the point where the the timekeeping groove. Notice that the fill is a variation of the
fourth repetition would actually have occurred. I give them no groove itself.
further instructions, other than telling them that they are free
to use whatever sounds or rhythms they like in constructing
their fills.
At our next session, I have the student demonstrate the fills
they have written for each of the timekeeping patterns. More
often than not, these initial attempts come off sounding a little
haphazard and rudimentary. After playing through a few of the This fill simulates the strong points of the timekeeping pat-
grooves myself and inserting fills of my own, the question usu- tern quite nicely, using the lower tom and the bass drum on or
ally arises: "Why do your fills seem to work, and how do you near counts 1 and 3, while placing the higher-pitched tom
come up with them?" To help the student answer these ques- where the snare drum backbeats had been. It also retains
tions, I backtrack to the original timekeeping rhythm that pre- many features of the rhythmic structure of the groove while
ceded the fill. I explain that a certain feel is set up by the time- filling in some of the "holes" with additional 16th notes.
keeping groove, and although a fill is a transitional device that Now let's try one that's a bit more complicated.
usually breaks away from the groove, the rhythms and sound
choices that make up the fill should somehow reflect the feel
of that groove.
Let's see how this concept works. Begin by choosing a
groove-oriented drumset pattern.

Again, play through it a few times to internalize the feel set up

by the rhythm.
Now let's figure out those strong points that give this groove
its character. The ride pattern has been placed on the upbeats
and is emphasized by the bass drum notes that fall on the "&"
Play through it a number of times and try to internalize the of counts 2 and 3. The first snare drum note has been shifted
feel that's set up by the pattern. Now let's analyze the impor- from its usual position on beat 2 to the immediately preceding
tant characteristics of the rhythm. The common quarter-note 16th note on the "ah" of count 1, contributing to the groove's
hi-hat rhythm coupled with the placing of the snare drum upbeat, syncopated feel. The bass drum's overall rhythm also
notes on counts 2 and 4 gives the sense of that familiar "four- adds to the funk-like feel of the pattern.
on-the-floor" feel. Although a few of the bass drum notes are Now let's look at a couple of different fills that incorporate
placed in syncopated positions within the measure, they all various elements of this pattern. The first fill closely matches
come off (or lean towards) the two strong, unsyncopated bass the sound and rhythm patterns of the groove, with the basis of
drum notes (the dotted 8th and the quarter) on 1 and 3. This its content easily determined. The second fill, however, reveals
also lends to the overall feel of that heavy rock "four-on-the- a more abstract association with the original groove.
floor" feel.
To sum it up, the strong pivotal points of this rhythm are the
snare drum backbeats on 2 and 4 and the solid bass drum
notes on 1 and 3, which are flavored by the weaker placements
of the remaining bass drum notes. Fills associated with this
rhythm should reflect these characteristics.
Hopefully, as you play through the timekeeping pattern, fol-
lowed by either of the fills, you will begin to hear how the
rhythms flow smoothly into each other, a result of the familiar
content of the groove pattern and the fill. They all seem to
"work" together because the fills are derived directly from the
elements of the timekeeping pattern.
Although this is just one method for writing effective drum
fills, it is an approach that gives students a foundation from
which to build their skills and provides a great launching pad
for further ideas.
I hated setting up every night and not
having the cymbals in exactly the same
place. I play in a very visual way, and
things have to be where I need them to
be without my having to look for them.
So I found this guy in Florida, Tom Fali-
con, who has a shop that makes motorcy-
cle crank shafts. He's famous for that,
but he's also really talented at making
custom drum racks. He's not just a
welder, he's an artist.
So I went down with my drum tech,
Glen Boster, and we all designed my rack
together. If you look at the cage by itself,
it almost looks like a piece of art. Tom
inspired me personally as well. He has a
great attitude about life and never says
anything bad about anybody.
RF: Let's talk about the second album.
What was different for you about this
album?
BE: For this one we decided to use the
same process as the first record. We
came off the road, took about two weeks
off, and went right back into the writing
mode. It was done in the living room of
Mark's house in pretty much the same
way, with a drum machine and a four-
track, a small guitar, and a bass. Every-
one asked why we were doing demos, but
we did three sessions of demos before
we did the record because we wanted to
keep that same vibe, making sure nobody
was getting tensed up in the studio. We
wanted to get used to the studio after
being on the road, to be able to live with
the songs and not come back after
recording the record and say, "I wish I
had done this...."
We went to the same studio, which
surprised people. We recorded in the
back room at the Red Zone. We actually
did the drums at Pasha, which is where
we did the drums for the first record.
Dana grew up there. When he was start-
ing out as an engineer, he was sweeping
floors at Pasha and working for [owner]
Spencer Proffer, so he knew the studio
really well and liked the sound of it. And
of course, when you have a good thing,
you don't want to change it.
We were really proud of the drum
sound we got on the first record, too.
The studio had been closed down,
though, and there had been leaks in the
ceiling over the control board and in the
drum room. But we called Spencer Prof-
fer and asked if we could go back in. The
drumset was covered up with a plastic them in as many places as we could. gram, so I was pretty much on my own. I
tarp, and if you listen really closely to RF: Other songs? made myself learn these solos and
"Shake This Place," right before the gui- BE: "The Wild Life," which is the title entered contests on my own. I got to the
tars come in you can hear some droplets. track of the record, is a very straightfor- Class I and won three gold medals,
RF: You do background vocals, too. ward, anthemic song like "Up All Night" which is the highest rating you can get. I
BE: Yes, on the albums. I want to do it was. It's that same feel, but a bit heavier was first chair in the Houston All City
live, too, but because of the way I play, and more mature musically. There is a Orchestra. I really enjoyed playing that
it's hard to find a headset that stays on lot of intricate hi-hat work in there, kind of music and learning more about
my head. I move around too much. But I though, which I think is what sets my my instrument. I played in a jazz band as
think we're going to try again this year. I rhythms apart from the average. well from Royce University, which I had
enjoy singing. In the studio it's a very RF: Is that something you developed been turned onto by Bobby Rock.
different ball game, and you realize how consciously through the years? It's funny; sometimes if you play rock,
hard the singer's job really is when BE: During my years in high school, we you don't get as much respect from the
you're in there singing background didn't really have a good percussion pro- drumming community as you would
vocals.
I'm definitely going to have to get into
shape for this tour, though. I've been
relaxing too much. What I do is so physi-
cal, and it's going to be a lot longer set
this year. If I'm even going to think about
singing, I'm going to have to build up my
wind.
RF: Do you warm up before a show?
BE: Most times. The times when I can't
because we're doing some interview or
something, I have to go on cold, and I
really feel it. But I have a practice pad,
and I go through a lot of rudiments and
anything I can do that uses both hands
evenly. I do a lot of things with my left
hand first. I'm ambidextrous; anything
that I do with my right hand and my
right foot, I try with my left hand and left
foot. Warming up for me is to get my
blood pumping and my muscles warmed
up.
RF: Let's go back to the second album.
What are some of your favorite cuts, and
how did you come up with your parts on
them?
BE: There's a song called "Times They
Change," which is a very adventurous
song. I'm hoping that we release that as
a single. It has a lot of different parts,
feels, tempos, and instruments. It goes
from a very mellow, almost '70s-sound-
ing melody, to almost an Iron Maiden
heavy metal section, and then into a kind
of Rush-like technical part. It's a long
song, and I'm very proud of the drums
on that one. There's some percussion,
too—some bongos—and I'm using con-
cert toms now that I borrowed from
Dana's old drummer, Steve Ward, who
he played with in a band called Bad Axe.
He has these old Slingerland concert
toms that are just like Neil Peart's. I was
always so impressed with his concert
tom sound. I brought them down to the
studio, and they sounded great. We put
playing different kinds of music, because
so much seems to be based on image
and all that. I'm part of a band now, I'm
not just a drummer who is gigging and
working. There's a difference playing for
a band. We're sold as an entertainment
group, not just a musical group. So it's
hard—coming from as intense a musical
background as I have—not feeling that
everybody in the drum community is
looking down on me. But I grew up read-
ing Modern Drummer, listening to jazz
records, playing in the drum corps, and
reading music.
RF: But don't you think all of that com-
bined helps make you a good rock drum-
mer?
BE: Yes, it does. Like I said, some of the
things I do on the new record that set me
apart come from that background. On
"She Wants More" on the first record, I
would never have been able to come up
with that part if I hadn't played in jazz
bands, because that's a jazz shuffle feel.
I wouldn't have come up with a lot of the
hi-hat parts I do if I hadn't been in corps
or in a funk band. My background has
helped me a lot and definitely gives me a
little extra spice.
 I talked to Rod Morgenstein about this
when we were on tour with Winger. He
was one of my biggest influences; I'd
always sneak in to see his shows when I
was underage, and then I'd sneak back-
stage. I thought, "Someday I'm going to
be up there with him." On the first date
we did together, I said, "I don't know if
you remember me, but I was that little
punk kid who was always bugging you."
We talked for a while, and I was saying
that I started out being known as a guy
who spins his sticks and plays 2 and 4,
but I know I come from this musical
background, and I feel weird about it. He
told me he came from this really heavy
musical background and was looked
down upon for changing to the rock
world. He said he himself had looked
down on rock players before he started
playing it, but then he realized there was
a lot more to it than people think. It's
hard to play for the song and keep that
solid groove. The best drummers, to me,
are able to play all different styles well. I
never look down on any kind of music,
no matter what the rock community may
think of it.
RF: Back to the second album. What
about "Street Of Broken Hearts?"
BE: That's something you wouldn't
expect to see written out in the pages of
Modern Drummer, because it's a very
basic song, but it's all playing for the
song. Believe it or not, it's one of my
favorite songs on the record because of
the strong melodies, which remind me of
the Beatles. Drumming-wise, it's simple,
but I enjoy playing it.
"Real Love" is a very radio-oriented
song. It's a great song, but as far as the
drum parts, again, they were for the
song. There's a staccato feel to the hi-
hat. A lot of times I choose the hi-hat
parts I play according to what the bass
line is. If the bass is playing more of an
open-ride feel to it, I'll play looser 8th
notes with accents on the downbeat,
whereas if it's more of a staccato feel,
where every note is accented and cut
short, I'll play all 8th notes accented.
That's what I did for that one.
The parts to the music determine the
kick and snare mainly, and your toms are
for musical accents. But the hi-hat, the
ride cymbal, and the cymbals are what
make the feel. I take my parts from what
the other instruments are playing. I go
from the hi-hat playing very staccato,
dance-oriented on the verses, to the cho- ride cymbal, I played the flat ride and we'll speed up the tape to get a lower,
ruses, where I'll play a flat ride. It overdubbed a bell from a 22" rock ride. meaner sound for some of the heavier-
accents what the guitars are doing and RF: Dana mentioned to me that you feeling songs. For some of the songs that
gives a very open, airy feeling to it. On used a variety of drum equipment on the are a lot tighter and upbeat, we'll slow
that song I couldn't find a ride cymbal tracks. the tape down and play along with it so
with a bell on it that sounded like that, so BE: Cymbal-wise, the flat ride was one the hi-hats come out crisper on the
I used a flat ride. But I wanted the bell of our favorites. It sounds amazing on record. We always use the same hats.
sound, too, so on the songs that have a the record. With the hi-hats, sometimes A lot of times, you can't judge things
by what you hear in the room; you have
to listen to the tape. The Chinas I used
sounded awful in person, but on tape
they sounded great. I used this old 16"
China-type. We tried a lot of different
snare drums, which we sampled. We
ended up using a Ludwig hammered
brass Black Beauty, a piccolo, and some
electronic sounds that we stole from
somewhere.
RF: What about "Days Gone By"?
BE: That is one of my favorites off the
new record. Great feel. It's Beatle-esque
and it also reminds me of progressive
bands like Queen, where there's a lot of
different parts. That's one thing we
weren't afraid of: putting different parts
in the same song. There are tempo
changes and lots of dynamics in that
song. That was also recorded for the first
record, but didn't make it stylistically.
Originally it didn't have drums, just bon-
gos, claves, a tambourine, and shakers.
There are sections that still have that
stuff, but we also put drums on this ver-
sion.
"Reach For The Sky" has some great
hi-hat work in it. The kick drum and
snare drum are holding down the meat-
and-potatoes groove, and the hi-hat is learning your rhythms first is what is Read a book. I feel that's one of the rea-
following what the guitar is doing. And most important. sons we're successful, because we had
the vocal is doing something entirely dif- RF: Were you really pre-med? our minds clear enough to set goals and
ferent. Lyrically, it's one of my favorites BE: Yes. I went to college and I wanted follow through with a plan to reach those
because it really reflects my attitude that, to be a doctor. I got a scholarship and goals.
no matter what, you shouldn't be afraid went to the University of Texas. My par- RF: Does a hit album set you up for life?
to try new things and reach for your ents were really proud of me; I was the BE: No. I've been very smart with my
dreams. Don't be limited by your mind first in my family to graduate high money, though. I can honestly say that if
or what other people try to drill into your school. But I finally decided that if I you're looking to play music to become
head. Do whatever it is you want. You didn't try to do music for a living, I'd an MTV star and rich, you're going into
just have to have the motivation to do it. always wonder about it, so I decided to the wrong business. It's more the excep-
RF: So when did you set your mind to give it a shot. tion than the rule for someone to
drums ? RF: What did your parents think? become rich. We sold a lot of albums, but
BE: I guess I was in seventh grade when BE: They were behind me because they we have a lot of promotion costs and
I started playing seriously. I had been figured if I wasn't happy doing what I video costs, and that gets taken out of
playing guitar in a band, but when I got was doing and always wondered about our money. And after all the percentages
into junior high, they had free drum something else, whether or not I was are taken by the lawyers, accountants,
lessons if you joined the marching band. successful financially, I would always be and managers, by the time the money
About the same time, I saw KISS in con- unsuccessful mentally and personally. gets to us there isn't much left. Plus, you
cert, and that's when I knew what I really They're very much into being happy with pay for the cost of the record, which can
wanted to do. Back in those days, drum- yourself. My dad is a minister and a be really high if you're not careful. I'm
mers were really spotlighted with these chaplain in a hospital. He's run drug not trying to tell anyone not to get into
huge kits and solos. I saw Black Sabbath, rehabilitation programs for the under- the business, but don't do it for the
Blue Oyster Cult, and Alice Cooper, and privileged from the time I can remem- money. You have to be as happy starving
I thought the drums were the most ber, and their philosophy has always in a one bedroom apartment or living on
amazingly powerful thing. been not to live for the money, but to live someone's living room floor as you would
I didn't come from a wealthy family, so for your beliefs. be as a billionaire. If you're going to play
I had to mow lawns all summer to get my RF: What does he think of the music, music, get into it because you love play-
first drumset, and I got ripped off on it. being a minister? ing music.
It was $250 for this complete pile of BE: He loves it because there's no nega-
trash. I made it into a good kit with some tive message in our music. I've never
old concert toms my high school band touched drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes in
had thrown out. I covered them with sil- my life, and I owe that in part to my dad,
ver contact paper to make this chrome because I was exposed to it at such a
drumset out of them. I got some old tuba young age. I remember seeing the people
stands from the back equipment room in my neighborhood sniffing glue and
and put some bass drums on them, and I paint, and I just said, "That's not the life
made gong bass drums. I made this huge I want." From an early age I knew if I
set. wanted to be successful, I couldn't do
That's where I got my idea for chrome that. In high school people were going, "I
drums. I love chrome drums. I remem- can't believe you don't want to try it."
ber being embarrassed to go to these And I was saying, "No way, I've got my
contests where all the other drummers drums; that's what I want to do." They'd
were coming in from other places with be partying and I'd go home and prac-
all these brand new Premier or Ludwig tice.
drums. I had this purple sparkle snare RF: That's very refreshing about your
drum from 1950 that I covered with wall band; you're not concerned with that
paper so it would look silver, and I hid it kind of tough image.
in the corner and covered it with a towel BE: It's not that we don't have a good
so nobody would see it. I made up for it time, because we have a great time.
in my playing, though, which is why, There are so many other ways in life to
when I meet drummers who are starting have a good time, though. Music is our
out, I tell them they don't have to have a primary thing. To us, the great time is
real set. I always tell them it doesn't mat- jamming together and playing on stage
ter what they're playing on, because as and in the studio. There are other things
far as drums are concerned, it's rhythm that I've gotten into to keep myself up in
that matters, not what you're playing on. the down time. I go skydiving, snow-
When you get a real set, you'll be able to boarding, mountain hiking, car racing.
use more dynamics and things, but There are a lot of other ways to get high.
Morton Sanders
Taking The Craft One Step Further
by Adam J. Budofsky

The drum isn't what it used to be. Research and development Since Sanders clearly doesn't plan to turn his craft into a
in the areas of physics, acoustics, stress, plastics, wood density, lucrative "business," one gets the sense (and becomes con-
lacquers, paints, and electronics have hurled the drum into the vinced upon conversation with the man) that the exquisite
space age, truly making it an instrument of infinite sound pos- instruments that fill several shelves and corners of his New
sibilities. York City apartment are indeed the results of a labor of love.
Like the song says, though, what goes around comes around. More than just a craftsman, Morty is a student, player, and afi-
Largely due to the growing cionado of Afro-Cuban and
popularity of "world" musics, other Afro-Latin cultures.
lately we've seen a rediscovery The focus of his interest,
of hand percussion instru- though, is on the rituals,
ments. For every drummer music, and instruments.
triggering sampled sounds Though he has made berim-
from an Octapad, it seems baus, shakers, and even spe-
another one is integrating con- cialty sticks, Sanders' prima-
gas into his or her setup or ry pieces today are shekeres,
overdubbing cuica parts on which are made from cal-
records. abashes or gourds, and large,
Though comparatively large ornate hand and bata drums
companies like LP and made from tree trunk logs.
Rhythm Tech have gladly pro- These drums start as solid
vided mass-marketed tools for pieces of pine tree, which
this trend—often in the form Sanders cuts and hand
of synthetic versions of the Morty, Jimmy Cruz, and Morty's son Mark jam with some of shapes into finished instru-
original, hand-made instru- Sanders' shekeres in New York's Central Park. ments. He fits skin heads on
ments—many individuals have with a unique, hardware-less
taken it upon themselves to build their own drums. One partic- system when they're wet, so that when they dry, they are sur-
ular person who has developed a unique interpretation of this prisingly tight. "A dyed-in-the-wool percussionist will say that
craft is Morton Sanders. there's nothing like the Cuban panza de mula—from the
Morton—or "Morty," as he likes to be known—has been belly," says Morty, "because the belly of the mule has an even
building intricately designed, personalized shekeres, hand thickness. But they're very hard to come by in recent years, so I
drums, and other ritual objects used in the Afro-Cuban reli- use goat or antelope rawhide." Sanders uses long spaghetti-like
gion known as Santeria for over thirty years. His creations are remnants of the wet skins and wraps them around the overlap-
some of the most advanced and finely decorated instruments ping heads to secure them to the drumshell. He also affixes
you'll run across. A percussionist with a world-renowned sym- concealed aluminum base rings to the bottoms of the drum's
phony orchestra, members of Earth, Wind & Fire, and even a mouth because "solid wood shells are not stable in steam-heat-
Native American medicine man own his instruments. Yet ed or air-conditioned environments," he explains. "Wood is
Sanders has never advertised nor sold through music stores, organic and highly subject to temperature change. So this con-
and insists that he doesn't strive to solicit more business. "I'm trols potential cracking."
up to my eyeballs in private commissions," he says, "and I've Sanders then finishes the curved exterior of the drum with
got a three- to four-month delivery. I do one drum or shekere acrylic paints. "I follow a technique used by the artisans of the
at a time. I have nobody else working with me, and I don't run a Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, a process called polychrome—many
store. I don't stock these things, I only make them on order." colors. But I also have my own technique of aging or distress-
ing it so it doesn't look like it was made yesterday." was brought by slaves to the Americas and that is still practiced
Surprisingly, Morty crafts these instruments without the aid widely today in the Caribbean and in major urban centers. So
of power tools. (A drum like the one pictured here would take he often portrays a stylized version of a player's personal deity,
him an entire summer of long weekends to complete.) Accord- or "orisha," in his work. According to Sanders, "Each orisha
ing to Sanders, "There is no power tool that can do this job has his or her own symbols, animals, colors, favorite foods, and
right. If you do anything with a power tool, you obtain a high the like." For instance, on one instrument for a client whose
degree of symmetry, which is undesirable to my aesthetic orisha is Yemaya—the guardian deity of the sea—Morty incised
sense. I'm trying, as a Western man—civilized, supposedly—to a mermaid character. These designs are embossed on a strip of
style my work after traditional West African craftsmen. The pliable sheet brass, which is attached to the neck with an epoxy
fact that it might be slightly asymmetrical gives it a vague look compound. "This gives me another opportunity to customize
of authenticity. I'll start a design over here on this side of an the shekere for you," Morty says. "It makes it something spe-
instrument, and it's not exactly the same when it gets to the cial, something you can't get from a catalog or music store."
other side—and so what? But since I was Sanders also attaches a small flat
trained in a rather rigid discipline—archi- leather ring to the bottom center of the
tectural design—I have to fight so that it shekere for better finger control, and
doesn't match too evenly when it comes weaves a network of beads around the
around the other side." instrument, which gives it its "slap"
Sanders' instruments may not be per- sound. The beads' colors can, if desired,
fectly symmetrical in shape, but he feels correspond to the owner's particular
that they sound as good as, or better than orisha. And like most artists, Sanders
any other instruments of this type. "I've "signs" each piece he completes, but not
taken something that was made in Africa with the usual handwritten signature. "In
and tried to improve on it—acoustically Spanish it's called a 'firma,'" Morty says.
and hopefully aesthetically," he states. "I "My trademark is an eye, which is meant
have a pretty good innate sense of to ward off evil—because I deal with a lot
design—coupled with my personal experi- of clients who are involved in Afro-Cuban
ence as a collector of authentic African or Afro-Brazilian belief systems."
sculpture." In fact, many of Sanders' com- On one or two occasions, Sanders has
missions come from non-musicians simply gotten flack from individuals about his
attracted to his instruments' appeal as art drums, since some—specifically the bata,
objects. for the orisha Chango—were originally
Besides the great amount of time, used only in religious ceremonies.
research, and detail Morty puts into his "They've by now escaped the confines of
work, several specific design characteris- pure ritual music, though," Morty
tics set his instruments apart. His shek- explains. "Someone questioned me about
eres, which are what he primarily makes this once, and I simply told him that my
today, are made from hard-shelled gourds drums are not what is known as 'funda-
grown in the south, in California, and in mento,' meaning drums that have been
Africa. These instruments take him 35 to blessed, that have gone through a sacra-
40 hours each to complete. Sanders cleans mental ceremony. Bata drums are now
out the inside of the gourd, and then lightly being played in secular bands. Women and
coats the smoothed inside with a sealer to This Sanders hand drum, which homosexuals were traditionally banned
minimize the porosity of the gourd wall. is 28" tall, was based on the from playing bata drums, and even now
"That enhances an optimum tone, which is Afro-Cuban Arara style. this taboo has not been lifted entirely, par-
prized by knowledgeable shekere players," ticularly in orthodox settings."
he explains. Though some of the shekeres are quite large, the Morty says that he used to be more involved in Santeria than
finished instruments are surprisingly light. "That's very he is today, yet he still keeps certain things, like the symbol for
important. I've played ritual ceremonies that started at 9:00 at the orisha Elegua—the guardian of the crossroads—by his door.
night, and we wouldn't walk out until 8:00 the next morning, "This assures me that when I go out, I'll come back in one
lightheaded with exhaustion." piece," Morty says. "When I come back in it casts off any kind of
Sanders also attaches a pre-fabricated neck onto the gourd, bad energy that I may have picked up on the outside. It was
which improves strength and allows an area for him to emboss made for me by my 'godfather,' or 'padrino,' who was a well
designs specific to the owner's requests. Many of Sanders' known Cuban 'italero,' or divinator, in the Bronx some years ago.
customers are involved in Santeria—an African religion that Sanders became deeply interested in the Afro-Cuban world
after his first of many trips to pre-Batista Cuba, in the late '40s, of mine who also drummed said, 'Let's go up to Central Park.
unexpectedly turned into a cultural and musical epiphany. On They jam up there.' So we went, and they were ready to kick
the plane with his wife and young son, he met a Cubano who my butt out of there. But I was entranced with the scene and I
offered to show him around Havana—but beyond the hotels and kept coming back. I used to bring my first hand-made drum up
casinos that tourists normally saw. Sanders experienced work- there, and they'd fight to play it. It took a year or two for me to
ing-class hangouts, dance halls, and homes, and was privileged get accepted as a player. I didn't have to do any fighting, but
to attend a toque or bembe, a ritual ceremony of Santeria, in the there was a lot of bluffing. They didn't mean to cut you or any-
town of Regla, where the sacred bata drums were played. With- thing, but it's quite the standard macho challenging scene. You
out his mind-opening experience, Sanders says, "I probably split or stay. I stayed."
would have gone back home thinking that Cuba was just Ameri- As Sanders suggests, being a non-Latin intrigued enough to
cans gambling in tuxedos and the country's black people work- become immersed in that culture can be—and has been,
ing as waiters and chambermaids. But I discovered the black though rarely—a source of friction. "You can understand the
'tinge,' which is an important part of African-rooted history." attitude," says Morty. "A minority people are always resentful of
Sanders wasn't completely naive to Latin culture before his those who wander into their scene that look like they might live
early trips, though. "My first introductions were here in New on Park Avenue. I happen to have the type of face where I
York," he recalls. "My wife and I used to hang out at a famous looked like a college professor, but I knew the New York street
ballroom on Broadway called the Palladium. The young Tito scene like the back of my hand, from my experiences in most of
Puente played there, Arsenio Rodriguez, Tito Rodriguez—and the Caribbean and Latin American barrios."
dancers from the inner city used to come to mambo. I was an When a non-Latino does want to get involved in what
Anglo New York mambo dancer, and my wife was an accom- Sanders describes as a "very closely knit society," he better
plished ballet dancer—a New York girl who looked like a Latina have something to offer—if he wants to hang with good play-
and danced like one. ers. Sanders tells about the Central Park drumming scene
"After my first visit to Cuba," Morty recalls, "I came back where rumberos hang out and play every Sunday during the
with a $35 conga drum. An Afro-American flute-playing friend warm seasons. "Some people who are born to the sound of
clave don't feel that outsiders—Anglos, shall we say—can have
any ability at all in this bag," Morty says. "And the truth of the
matter is, when you want to learn clave at the age of 20 or 30,
it's not as easy as if you grew up hearing it. Even if you're a
Latino, the business of learning to play Latin percussion has
got to take you a minimum of ten years, I don't care how talent-
ed you are—unless your orisha touched you while you were still
in diapers. But the Central Park scene was very important,
because a lot of the guys who came out of there as teenagers
now play with some of the big bands, like Puente and Palmieri,
or they're doing lucrative studio work."
Sanders passed his interest in Afro-Latin music and culture
on to his son Mark, who today is a professional percussionist
playing with musicians like Dianne Reeves, Gato Barbieri, and
Ahmad Jamal. "He picked up on it at a very early age," says
Morty. "When he was 13, I used to take him wherever I went in
New York City—up to Spanish Harlem, all the darkest base-
ments and bars where people were playing rumba. He fell in
love with it. No one hearing him today playing Latin jazz, Afro-
Cuban, or Brazilian music believes he's an American."
Though Sanders is now 70 years old, he says building instru-
ments still takes up most of his time, though "I sort of goof off
in the summertime, because I've got fun things to do," he
admits. And though he still sits in occasionally with various
groups, Morty insists, "I never wanted to be a professional
player. I reached that through my son in a way. I still hang out.
My stress now is on craftsmanship—and the satisfaction I get
from watching young percussionists burn up the joint playing
my axes."
 write his tune out. "The Legend Of
leaders will record your compositions? Cheops," from Woody Shaw's Rosewood
Do you have to sell them on your tunes? LP, was a piece I wrote for a large
VL: What's funny is, I'm almost the ensemble. I scored and arranged for two
opposite of that. I'm my own worst hus- flutes, three saxophones, a harp, two
tler. Sometimes it's drummer's paranoia. trombones, two trumpets, and a rhythm
But it's nice that cats are using my stuff, section. Woody Shaw was always sup-
because they have given my writing a lot portive and forthcoming concerning my
of respect. writing. No matter what request I would
KM: Sanborn has recorded three of your make, Woody always trusted my judge-
tunes. Have you been writing long? ment.
VL: Since high school. In college, I'd KM: Your writing style is understated,
transcribe the melody and bass lines of, yet forceful and very connected, and
say, a Miles tune, then write my own supportive.
thing from that framework. I do 90% of VL: Stan Getz recorded a tune of mine
my writing at the piano. Occasionally I'll called "I Wanted To Say." He was a mas-
hear something when I'm on a flight. I'll ter of interpretive melody. He took my
hum the melody into a tape recorder tune and embellished a couple of spots.
until I can get to the piano. For example, It was so strong that the next time I gave
"Big Girls," a song of mine, was the first it to someone I left in Stan's changes.
tune I heard away from the piano. But sometimes I'll have to say to some-
A lot of times, people feel that even if a one, "Well, that's not really the way I
drummer is credited with composing a hear it."
tune, someone else must have arranged KM: How does being a composer alter
it or something. To quote the old joke: your approach to other people's music?
"Who do drummers hang out with? VL: Often, people bring a tune to a date.
Musicians." I am one of the many drum- They'll give you a part. It may be the
mers who don't need a "musician" to right balance of information you need to
have, or sometimes not. Usually they're profile, well-paid funk drummer. If you
kind of sketchy. Or they'll give you the had stayed that course, you'd be making
wrong kind of sketches. I'll ask for the a lot more money now.
lead sheet from the horn players to get VL: One thing about me is, the music is
the proper information. Then I don't more important. Money does matter—
have to trust the writers solely to know especially now. But I've gotten to a point
what they think they want me to play. where, if I can make a living playing jazz,
When the music starts, my ears make the that's what I'll do.
final evaluation of what's happening. KM: Your personality seems more suited
Then you decide on the variables you to it.
want to be hitting. You don't want the VL: In terms of talking about music, I
music to be running by, and you're just have good days and bad days. I'm actually
playing time. a very eccentric artist. If I'm possessed,
KM: You've recorded both funk and the first thing that goes out are my verbal
straight-ahead. What do you see as the skills.
fundamental difference between the two KM: Why is it, when practicing for long
types of drumming? periods of time, that tends to happen?
VL: In funk, you supposedly get your We lose our ability to communicate ver-
rocks off on a groove that's repetitive and bally.
relentless. In jazz, it's, "Okay, let's see if VL: If you lock yourself up in a room for
I'm ready for all the moves." You've got ten days, you'll have a little trouble
to be ready to pass the ball, to shoot the adjusting to society. The worst time for
ball...it's interplay. A jazz drummer has me to talk is right before or after a gig.
to come in and out of the groove and After a gig, I'm still possessed. I play to
back. In jazz, the ride cymbal is the become possessed. Basically, at that
focus. In funk, it's the bass and snare point I'm not a technical player. I play
drum. from feeling.
KM: With Sanborn, you were a high- KM: In the round table, we talked about
the nights when there seems to be per- VL: Personally, I don't think so. Every-
fect chemistry. You mentioned that you thing clicks in and out at different times.
believe that "the spirits come down." Somedays, one beer will do me in. Other
VL: Right. It's the same as the cycle of days, I can have six beers. I used to make
the tides, the full moon. Every day, every sure I got eight hours of sleep, did all my
moment is changing. You can spend stretches, did my transcendental medita-
years trying to predict it. Everything that tion. Then I'd think, "Now I'm prepared
has happened in the day, or wherever the for the gig."
band's head is at, all contribute to New York is a different scene. The
whether you'll be able to transcend the stress can get to you. I became a "non-
situation. Sometimes, if a band has been purist purist." With my schedule, I have
on the road for three weeks, they'll feel to keep my body from getting used to any
like they can do anything. But they'll go particular pattern. I keep my body bro-
into a club and get their asses kicked. ken from routines. Maybe that's why we
You can't predict it. die young? When I play all the time,
KM: What about practicing before gigs? which is usually, I don't practice. To me,
Miles said he never practiced so that he practicing can be upheaving. If you tell
could keep a fresh approach. yourself you have to be practicing to play
VL: When I practice, I practice to learn. well and on a particular day you don't
A cat may be playing at the drums for have time to practice, it might screw up
four hours, but that may be playing what your mind for the gig that night.
he already knows. That's just a hell of a KM: Some drummers are maniacal
warm-up job, as opposed to real growth. about practicing. Perhaps they should
I used to go through a lot of head trips. relax and be more concerned about the
Back when I first started playing jazz at music.
the University of Nebraska, I'd refrain VL: Yes. I'm 41 years old now, I'm busy
from sex the day of the gig. in the workforce. I don't really have time
KM: Did that make any difference? to accomplish things technically that
would take five years to get to. I have gig, because he harassed him! There's
found that you have to make the gig hap- always a reason why you're not called for
pen with what you have. That's also part a gig. There's a saying: "That cat's so
of finding your own style. I used to show hip, he's too hip to play with anybody." If
up at a gig bummed, like, "I haven't what you bring to the music is valuable,
practiced, the gig will suck, why am I you'll be called for the gig.
here?" I had to get a detached attitude KM: Why do many drummers approach
about technique and the music. the music drumistically as opposed to
KM: You're very involved with the rest of being more musical?
the band when you play—a lot of eye VL: Their ego still lies with the drums
contact. With Horizon, you're the leader. as opposed to the music. They have to
Is it harder to be a leader or a sideman? show something to other drummers.
VL: It's harder to be a leader, which When you're able to direct your ego
entails doing a lot of things that have towards the right focus, you'll do the
nothing to do with the music. "Are we right musical thing at the right time.
going to get paid?" Now I have to come KM: Even when you take a break, you're
out of my drumming trance and deal very succinct and to the point. You hit it
more directly with the people. and you get out.
KM: Why, when seemingly equally quali- VL: You don't want to be too hip to
fied, do some drummers in New York where you screw the band up. Art Blakey
work a lot, while others don't. used to say, "Two hips make an ass."
VL: A guy might think, "Why didn't they You're better off addressing the woman
call me for that gig? I play better than in the fifth row who's never heard of you
that guy. In fact, I'm gonna call the lead- than trying to impress some imagined
er up and ask him why." So he calls him drummer in the room!
and the leader will say something or KM: You said before that you're into
another. One thing he knows after that, meditation.
the leader will never, ever call him for a VL: Yes. I have what you'd call a delicate
nervous system. I play best when my drums after seeing the annual Fourth of
mind is settled, since I don't have July parade in Omaha. The following
"objective chops." Christmas I got a drumset. It took me all
KM: What's that? day to figure out how to set it up! I stud-
VL: My technique is affected by the ied with Luigi Watts, who is one of the
spirits. Basically, I'm a low energy per- pillars of the Omaha jazz community. He
son. When my mind gets fatigued, my told me about Art Blakey, Elvin Jones,
body goes next. I need things to freshen Max Roach, Sam Woodyard, Baby Dodds.
up my mind, then my body will follow. An important thing he laid on me was
Transcendental meditation has been about attitude and humility. Appearance
important for that. If I have a long record and where you come from doesn't mat-
date and a gig that night, if I don't have ter. You can find a great drummer on any
time for a good nap, I'll meditate for an corner of any street, in any town in
hour. It cleans the slate of my nervous America.
system. From the time when I wake up in At that time, I wasn't practicing my
the morning, I think about being in the lessons—I just wanted to sit down and
right space when it's time for me to play. get off. What rekindled practicing for me
KM: I'd like to get some background was checking out different cats playing
information on you—and how you devel- live. All the big bands would come
oped your own voice. Were your parents through Omaha: Basie, Ellington, Woody
musicians? Herman, Buddy Rich. Those cats would
VL: My mother played piano and my blow me away. I knew if I wanted to get
father played tenor sax and a myriad of there, I had to practice.
instruments. I started out on bass. A real A friend of mine told me about this
bass was too big for me, so they bought young guy playing with Miles Davis, Tony
me a 3/4 size cello. I didn't dig that, so Williams. He said he was bad! I said, "Is
from the ages of seven to eleven I stud- he better than Buddy Rich? How bad can
ied classical piano. I was attracted to the he be?" Miles and Tony really turned me
on to the sound of small ensembles. KM: During your heavy drum learning scene became very popular. Through
Three years later I got to see Miles in period, who were you into? that I met Joe Farrell and Hiram Bullock,
Omaha with Jack DeJohnette. He blew VL: Tony, Roy Haynes, Elvin, Jack. which began my funk playing period.
my mind, too. I had tears in my eyes, "Four" & More with Tony and Miles was KM: You got some pretty lucky breaks
goosebumps from the music. It was a one of my bibles. Tony's ride cymbal rather soon.
religious experience for me. It changed playing was incredible on that. Then VL: Yes, I did. Shortly after that I joined
my whole life. I started transcribing there was DeJohnette on Charles Lloyd's David Sanborn's permanent band, and
tunes, working on small ensembles. In Live At Montreaux, Elvin Jones on we recorded two records [Promise Me
1968 I went to the University of Nebras- Coltrane's A Love Supreme. Also, Eric The Moon and Sanborn]. I also worked
ka and studied music. They didn't have a Gravatt floored me. with Hubert Laws, Carla Bley, Oliver
jazz department, so I studied classical KM: A lot of drummers mention him as Lake, Julius Hemphill...I kept pretty
percussion. The head of the department a heavy influence. busy.
would consult me when they booked jazz VL: I took a lot from his drumming. He KM: How were you able to cover so
groups to play on campus. I'd pick them was also into Tai Chi, which influenced many bases?
up at the airport. I met Alphonse his movements on the drums. I consider VL: I realized they were unique. They
Mouzon with McCoy Tyner, and Herbie him to be one of the unsung, innovative were their own entities. They come with
Hancock's quintet with Buster Williams heroes. a subculture with a certain attitude in
and Billy Hart. Billy really helped me a KM: So you hit New York... the music. I learned early on that you
lot when I came to New York. He let me VL: I got a gig with Buster Williams and can't show up on a funk gig with an 18"
sub on gigs and do rehearsals. Woody Shaw at a club called Boomers. bass drum, and you can't make a real
After Omaha, I moved to Minneapolis I'd been here about two months. Buster bebop gig with a 22" bass drum. I wanted
for a year. I had sort of a show biz gig at had heard me in Nebraska. The first to play the music right.
night, and in the daytime I'd rehearse night was a catastrophe; I couldn't play KM: How did you blend into the very
with a band. We didn't have any gigs the shit. I knew I hadn't played myself. The rigid cliques that exist in the New York
whole year, but we rehearsed every day. next night I went for it. That started a jazz community?
That was a very formative period for me. long association with Woody. In the early VL: A lot of cats didn't know I was into
After that I moved to New York with '70s, SoHo was cheap space for musi- other things. I didn't bring any baggage
about $200 in my pocket. cians to play and rehearse. The loft in—no head trips. Whatever the music
was, I was into it. Sometimes I did find jazz exclusively? Tate can play very simply, no fancy stuff,
myself trying to keep the funk out of my VL: Yes. Straight-ahead jazz drumming and swing you to death!
swing and the swing out my funk, and isn't just about playing good time. KM: Woody Shaw was your major gig
both out of my avant-garde! All of this There's an intangible element that after Sanborn?
helped me to define what each style was makes cats say, "How can I get that?" VL: Yes, then Stan Getz. I found my own
all about. Trying to find that magical thing really unique things then. Like playing the
KM: After Sanborn, you wanted to play defies technique. Some guys like Grady edge of the cymbals or the shells of the
drums. I worked with Stan through six or
seven versions of his band, from fusion
to straight-ahead.
KM: Now you only play jazz, swing—
straight-ahead type music. Why?
VL: For different reasons. First, I'm too
old for the kind of stress that comes
from playing funk. Second, jazz repre-
sents longevity in my career. And finally, I
want to be the loudest cat in the band. I
want more control over dynamics. I don't
want to play as hard as I can and not be
able to hear myself.
KM: Upcoming gigs?
VL: I go on tour with Don Grolnick,
with a band that includes Michael Breck-
er, Eddie Gomez, and Joe Henderson.
After that I have a couple of record dates
lined up. Horizon will be going to the
Kansas City Jazz Festival, the Mt. Hood
Jazz Festival, and a three-week workshop
in Idaho with Gunther Schuller. I have
more gigs with Mingus Epitaph lined up,
too.
KM: Do you wear a tuxedo on these
gigs?
VL: Who wants to sweat up good materi-
al? [laughs]
Sequencing: arrangement.
So how do you acquire these sequenced dreams-come-true?

A Drummer's Friend?
Well, you can buy them, or you can record them yourself.
Anyone with access to a personal computer with an expansion
port (IBM or compatible, Macintosh, Commodore 64), a MIDI
interface, and appropriate music software (Cakewalk, Cadenza)
can make it all happen by buying complete sequenced songs in
by David Moore and Carl Henry standard MIDI file format from a variety of sources, at prices
ranging from $10 to $20 per song. These sources can also sup-
ply sequences formatted for many of the ded-
icated sequencers of companies like Roland,
Yamaha, Korg, and Brother. You can find
these sources advertised in the classified
section of magazines like Keyboard or
Electronic Musician. I've used Tan-tracs,
Trycho Tunes, and Passport, although there
are many more to choose from.
These sequences offer handy advantages:
They duplicate the original artist's arrange-
ment; sound great; allow you to see exactly
how parts have been orchestrated on your
computer screen; and are good examples to
emulate. These sequences, of course, con-
tain only digital information, on separate
tracks. The information must be channeled
into a MIDI sound source. Some of these
sound sources are multi-timbral, providing
several sounds simultaneously. A visit to your
local music store will give you hands- and
David Moore performs in a club as a single, through the use of a sequencer. ears-on access to the types of equipment
available.
As a live drummer and vocalist, I've been able to sustain a living As far as recording your own sequences, some keyboard abili-
at my craft for twenty years through a combination of diligent ty is required to input the musical parts of each instrument onto
networking, the ability to please a club owner, and plain hard each track. If you own a MIDI drum machine, you have both a
work. Still, every time I would see an act working with a drum sound source and a means of adding percussive extras to your
machine, I'd flinch. I knew it was only a matter of time until a tracks. Handclaps, congas, and other rhythmic sweeteners will
microprocessor picked my pocket. Then one day, during a make you feel like you're jamming with Alex Acuna! (Remember
moment of career contemplation, a light bulb blinked on in my to program a count-off click at the beginning of your sequence.)
head. Instead of being the replaced, I would be the replacer! I Perhaps some of you are multi-instrumentalists. Leave the
would become, aided by the latest technology, a live solo drum- drums in your sequence, remove your instrument, and play
mer. along live. I play guitar, which adds variety and gives me a rare
Why not sequence a solid bank of material, use my voice and chance to wail on my axe and show off my drum programming
drums, and take total control of my gigs? Self-reliance at last! ability.
With this setup, drummers like me could charge less money and A word of caution: Make a cassette back-up of your sequences
keep more for ourselves, and open up a world of opportunities. taken directly from your MIDI sound source, and bring it and a
And we wouldn't necessarily have to go it alone. The principle tape deck to your gigs. This way you won't sweat out machine
applies whether you want to be a solo drummer/vocalist, or if malfunctions.
you intend to work with one or more musicians. On a personal level, I've been very gratified by the reception
Perhaps you don't have any ambition of becoming a working my solo drum act has received. My bookings have blossomed,
drummer. Maybe all you desire is the enjoyment of playing with my income has increased considerably, and audience reaction
a full band during your home practice sessions. Again, live has been terrific. And I've been surprised by the number of peo-
drums with the rest of the "band" sequenced fits the bill. You'll ple who have expressed their delight at hearing real drums
improve your timing and your ability to adhere to a professional again.
 a job. Maurie Lishon, former proprietor ment with him and he told me, 'Mr.
of the famous Frank's Drum Shop in Christian, you are going to be my snare
"That was enough of that," Bobby Chicago and himself a professional per- drummer.' I replied, 'Dr. Reiner, I am
recalled. "I went to work that night and cussionist, recalls, "The first time I was not going to be your snare drummer!' In
said, 'Pops, I'm giving you notice.' When called to sub for Bobby at NBC in Chica- those days they were only paying $90 - 95
I told him why, Paul Whiteman started go, there was one chart with a fairly sim- per week for a percussion player. I told
laughing and said, 'Well, at least finish ple bell part. But Bobby made a career of him I could make more money in one
this date with me and then play the 'padding the part' by playing hundreds of day than I could working a whole week
Coconut Grove in California'. So I fin- notes to keep busy! I just played the orig- with the Symphony. He got mad and
ished the dates with him, but before I inal melody line. Remember, this was my chased me out, but I would still play
left, he told me that any time I wanted a first shot subbing at NBC. The conduc- extra man for him occasionally.
job, I'd have one." Twenty years passed tor stopped the orchestra and said, "One time I had a little tambourine
before they would meet again, but Paul 'Lishon, that's not what Bobby plays roll to make in a Debussy piece.
Whiteman would indeed live up to his there.' My reply, knowing Bobby's playing 'Brrrrrp': That was it. Reiner was con-
word. approach, was that if he wanted what ducting and we got to my part and noth-
In the meantime, Christian was doing Bobby played, he'd better call Bobby! ing came out! I went to Frank's Drum
a lot of jingle work around Chicago—two "When Bobby heard about it, he said, Shop and got a very light sandpaper to
to three jobs a day, sometimes fifteen in 'Mush'—he always called me Mush—'I glue all around the head. So at the per-
one week—and played in radio and tele- bet Joe left you alone after that!' He was formance the next day, I went 'brrrrrp,'
vision bands at both NBC and CBS. He right, and I did numerous subbings at and it was there. Fritz Reiner, who used
played on Budweiser jingles for twenty NBC, which ultimately led to much radio to be a percussionist—a bad one—before
years, Schlitz for ten years—and the list and TV work and a nineteen-year stint he became a great conductor, said, 'It
goes on and on. "I was playing percus- on the CBS Chicago staff." sounded good. That's it!' [A big grin
sion then—timpani, xylophone, vibes, During the late 1930s, Bobby Chris- spread across Bobby's face as he remem-
and so forth. They usually hired an extra tian also played with the Chicago Sym- bered. ]
drummer to play all the set parts." phony Orchestra. He recalled how one "I decided I wanted to see if I could
Due to his hectic jingle schedule, day conductor Fritz Reiner summoned get a New York [Musicians Union] card,
sometimes Bobby needed a sub to cover him to his office. "I kept my appoint- so I quit my jobs in Chicago and went to
New York. It took me about a year to the Percussion Pops with their drummer It was during his years of performing
make it. Then I went to see my old boss Joe Morello, and percussionists Tom with Dick Schory that people began to
from Chicago, Dr. Roy Shields, who had Davis, Gary Burton, and Bobby Chris- call Bobby "Mr. Percussion." He mod-
promised me a job in New York after I tian. How's that for a percussion/drum estly elaborated, "I did all the writing,
got my card. Unfortunately, what he was section?! and they used to come to the concerts
going to give me fell through, but he told "The final number had a large 'boom' and watch me perform. There were
me to go see Paul Whiteman, who was from the concert bass drum on the some tough things we used to do
rehearsing over at ABC. So I went to see fourth beat of every eighth measure. then—really hard—but it was great!"
Paul. Each of the three percussionists had to During the last twenty years, Bobby
"I was standing at the door there while literally run to pick up the beater and Christian had been doing one of the
he was conducting. He turned around, play a fff on the bass drum from the things he enjoyed the most—giving clin-
looked at me, stopped the band and said, opposite end of the stage. ics for aspiring musicians throughout
'By God! Bobby Christian!' He came up "The tune was coming to a climax, the country and even overseas. Besides
to me, hugged me, and said, 'You start and Bobby Christian was doing most of teaching them to make a correct drum
tomorrow!' He kept his word! the running on stage. The last percus- roll, how to tune timpani, and the right
"This was back in 1955," Bobby con- sionist to play the bass drum did not approach to playing bells and chimes,
tinued. "I had two radio shows in New leave the beater on top of the drum, but Bobby loved to show them some of his
York: Tales Of Tomorrow and The took it to his next instrument instead. "tricks," among other things.
Meredith Wilson Show. I wrote the Now, Bobby went to the bass drum for "Sometimes I would walk into the stu-
music for both of them for two years. the final note. He looked around for the dio and the producer would ask me
But I didn't like New York—it was a real beater and spotted it on the opposite where my tenor drum was," related
jungle, even though the people were side of the stage. He ran as fast as possi- Christian. 'Oh, you want a tenor drum
nice. So I came back to Chicago and just ble to get the beater. He had only five sound?' I'd ask. 'Yes. Where is it?' he'd
took it easy for a year. Then I decided to beats until the final solo bass drum persist. 'I've got it, don't worry,' I would
do some calls and I got all my work boom. Bobby, without hesitation, wound say. Then I'd take a snare drum and put
back." Around this time, Bobby also up like a baseball pitcher and threw the it directly on a small timpani, which I
toured the Far East with the Toscanini beater across the stage!" had tuned to a low pitch, maybe a D.
Symphony of the Air. Bobby laughed as he remembered the Then I would play on the timpani head.
"Beginning around 1960, I started to outcome. "What do you think? It was
do a lot of writing for Dick Schory and right on the button! Ask Maurie Lishon,
his Pops. We used about eight percus- he'll tell you about it. We used to write
sionists and a fifteen-piece orchestra and these things on purpose!"
did most of our concerts for Ludwig. In Maurie Lishon concurs. "I have seen
those days, Dick Schory was one of the Bobby perform percussion gymnastics
big guys at Ludwig, promoting their new beyond description. At times I even sug-
'total percussion' emphasis. We were gested that he try some of his lightning-
fairly innovative at that time. We did like instrumental segues on roller
arrangements of classical, jazz, bossa skates!"
nova—it was really great. We used to do Mike Balter continues, "It was, indeed,
our own compositions and arrange- a miracle that the beater landed right on
ments, where one of the guys would have beat 4. It brought the entire audience to
to go from xylophone to timpani in eight its feet. After the concert I questioned
bars and have to run like mad. Boy, did Bobby, 'How did you know when to throw
that look great! We could have used two the beater?' He replied, in a typical
or three sets of chimes around the stage, Christianism, 'Well kid, if you want to
but no, we just had that one set!" know, you'll have to take lessons from
Michael Balter, a drummer/percus- me!' So, in turn, I did.
sionist in Chicago and president of Mike "Of course, my first question was,
Balter Mallets, recalls the first time he 'How did you do that?' Bobby replied,
saw the Dick Schory Percussion Pops 'First we start with the quarter note...'
perform at the first Ludwig Symposium and we proceeded to learn the basics.
in the mid-1960s. "I was fourteen years For almost twenty-five years I joked with
old and studying drums with Roy Knapp, him about hitting the bass drum right on
who recommended that I attend the beat 4. He always said the same thing—
week-long happening at Northwestern even the last time I saw him. 'You're not
University. The highlight of the week ready to know the answer yet!' and
was the Friday night concert featuring smiled that big smile of his."
 The sound that produces is ten times as and down. Or how he got a werewolf up until the time of his death, Bobby was
broad and loud as they want it. sound by holding a big bell about an inch still giving lessons to nine students,
"If they wanted a drum that sounds over the timpani, striking it hard, and ranging in age from 18 to 35. From
like a Revolutionary War field drum, I having the engineer bring up the sound beginners to intermediate, they still
would take a snare drum and put it on a while he moved the pedal. Or how he came to study with the Master himself.
stand. Then I would take one of those laid a cowbell on the timpani head and One of his former students is Jim
suction cups that come with toy guns, struck it while moving the pedal. Catalano, currently the marketing man-
and put it in the center of the drum. It What about a gong? "There's a lot you ager for Ludwig. Jim remembers study-
brings the pitch down a fifth. Try it can do with a gong. You can play it in the ing with Bobby from 1975 to '77 while he
sometime!" Bobby exclaimed. center and just get a bell-like sound. You was attending Notre Dame. "I was
"Another way to make a large snare can play it off the center and get a differ- preparing for my master's recital.
drum sound if you don't have a snare ent tone. Play it on the edge and you get Instead of working on the technicalities
drum with you is to take a triangle and yet another sound. You don't have to buy of the Carter timpani solo or the Cres-
put it right in the middle of a timpani. three or four gongs—you only need one. ton, Bobby would work on the tonalities
Then you play about three or four inches "Have you noticed that when gong and the recording techniques of
from the edge of the timpani with sticks, players hit a gong forte, it goes [Bobby claves—practical things that would be
and you get a big field drum sound. It clapped his hands] 'bah,' and then it really important in music, rather than
sounds like ten drummers! People always responds? But I've got a trick: use two just the recital pieces."
say, 'Why didn't I think of that?' gong beaters. Put one against the gong, Another person who was greatly influ-
"I'll tell you another triangle story. I and hit the mallet that's on the gong enced by Bobby Christian was his own
take a triangle and set the bottom of it on with the other one and pull it away real grandson, John Nasshan, Jr. "I will never
the timp head. Then I move the pedal up fast. Then it's right on the button and forget when I was in the first grade and
and down while I strike the triangle—it you get the full sound. Gramps and I walked through the snow
sounds like a cuica! I have a million of "Did you ever notice that most gong to my school so he could hear me play
these things!" stands are made in the wrong shape, snare drum in the band concert," recalls
Bobby Christian proceeded to explain usually bent or round? It should be John. "I don't know how we sounded, but
how he got a rattlesnake sound by string- moon-shaped. For example, if the band's having my grandfather in the audience
ing up a lot of beads, laying them on the playing and you have a roll and every- made me feel like we were the New York
timpani, and rolling on the head with body's going to stop, you've got to be Philharmonic."
drumsticks while moving the pedal up able to get around it. Use your knees and Bobby Christian's long and distin-
your hands and you'll get a real secco guished career was recognized in 1989
stop without any extraneous sound. when the Percussive Arts Society induct-
"I have a friend in London," he added. ed him into their Hall of Fame. "I was
"Nigel Shipway is his name, and he's thrilled," he enthused. "It was great to
had the Cats show for about ten years. be able to speak at the banquet in front
He's using all my tricks and getting the of so many of my peers. PAS is a great
work there!" idea, and they've got the right people
If Bobby Christian could give a clinic running it now, a bunch of young fellows
to all the young percussionists out there, like Vic Firth and John Beck." During
what points would he have emphasized? that same year, PAS also inducted his
"The first thing I want to get across— long-time friend Maurie Lishon into the
besides learning the first thirteen rudi- Hall of Fame.
ments—is that they learn to read well Bobby Christian liked classical music
and hold the sticks properly. Finger and good jazz. Who were some of his
drumming is all right, but it's not natu- favorite drummers? "Lou Bellson plays a
ral. So I tell them to play authentically, nice, neat rock, and Ed Shaughnessy
with either the matched or traditional plays the whole thing," Bobby said. "Of
grip- course, the daddy of them all was Buddy
"Secondly, I would ask them to work Rich! This guy was great. It used to kill
on their drum rolls, because if they don't me when some drummers would nudge
do that, they're out of business. The next me and say, 'Bob, he's rushing.' And I'd
thing I would ask of them is, if they're say, 'What's the difference? He's just
going to play timpani, they must know rushing about a half inch. That's a lift.'
their chords first. Learn intervals and "Good timpani players are Vic Firth
sing them. You have to know solfege in and Solly Goodman. And there's a drum-
order to tune to minor thirds, major mer from New York—Buster Bailey. This
thirds, and so forth. That's my approach guy is something else. He's the only one
to this type of drumming with kids." who can play a real snare drum roll. In
And he knew the "kids." In fact, even fact, Buster and myself were the only
ones who had what we call a real 'Ameri- drum roll to a suspended cymbal roll to ing on. "I'm going to cut an album in
can Roll.' the xylophone or vibes." Christian's January in Vegas," he explained. "I'm
"I'll tell you a story about the roll: I demonstration of the mallet's capabili- going to use the Vegas musicians, and
went to do a jingle date and it opened up ties was truly incredible. It's going to feature yours truly through-
with a snare drum solo for two bars. I "What I like to do is invent sounds," out the recording on vibes. And I'm even
thought, 'Boy am I going to show this Bobby said. "I call that the 'natural' way going to play a drum solo!"
conductor what I can do! I'm really going of doing things. Instead of going to Bobby's unexpected death will leave an
to make a great roll.' So I started to play, Hawaii and buying a Hawaiian drum, or empty record slot on our shelves, but not
and he interrupted me to ask me what I going to China and buying a Chinese in the souls of all those musicians that he
was doing. Then he started again, and I tom-tom, I invent sounds. There are cer- touched. "Half the names I'm going to
played the worst roll I could think of. tain things you've got to buy—like a bell recall are names of musicians that the
And he said, 'That's it!' I'd practiced all tree or a gong. But then I stopped buying kids have forgotten about or don't even
those years to make a good roll and, all of things. I just started creating the sounds know," he lamented once. But Bobby
a sudden, my big chance comes and the out of the instruments I already owned." Christian is one percussionist who will be
conductor says, 'Give me the other roll.' Bobby Christian was very excited remembered for a long time to come.
Isn't that funny?" about an upcoming project he was work-
When asked what his favorite percus-
sion instrument was, Bobby hedged the
question by telling a story about George
Gaber (percussion instructor emeritus
at Indiana University). "I told him once
that if I just concentrated on one instru-
ment, like timps, I'd cut him to pieces."
Bobby held an imaginary cigar in one
hand, and in a voice imitating that of Mr.
Gaber, said, "We-e-e-ell, I don't know
about that." Following a hearty chuckle,
Bobby continued, "If you concentrate on
one instrument, you're going to play it
well. But don't forget that we have to play
xylophones, bells, chimes, timps—all
that just to make money.
"But I guess my favorite is vibes—jazz
vibes," Bobby finally confessed. Bobby
was a Ludwig/Musser clinician and
endorser for many years during the
1960s and 1970s, and re-joined them as
an active clinician again just a few years
ago.
"I've been working on some new vibe
mallets for almost ten years," Bobby
confided. "If you have four sticks and
they're medium/medium soft, and you
hit the vibes, the sound goes 'bah-ong.'
It's almost an afterthought. But when
you play with these mallets, the sound is
right there. Without divulging too many
'trade secrets,' they're not wrapped. The
mallets are made of rubber. Nigel Ship-
way is having them made in England."
Mallets that are currently available
(through Malcolm Publishers) are the
Bobby Christian Super Segue Timpani
Mallets. Bobby elaborated, "You can use
them if you have a multiple drum piece.
It's like a piano mallet—it's got a rubber
piece on top so you can make one-hand-
ed rolls, and a felt hammer on the other
side. You can go from a quick snare
 MANHATTAN JAZZ QUINTET
RECORDINGS Manhattan Blues
admirably anchored by a
restrained Gadd, who nonethe-
Sweet Basil 7301-2 less demonstrates his total
LEW SOLOFF: trp command of the bop idiom,
GEORGE YOUNG: sx similar to some of his earlier
DAVID MATTHEWS: pno work with Chick Corea.
EDDIE GOMEZ: bs There's some heavy-duty
STEVE GADD: dr musicianship displayed here,
JOHN SCOFIELD: gtr by a group quite capable of
Blues March; St. Louis Blues; Man- pulling it off in the tradition of
hattan Blues; Sweet Basil Blues; Blakey's early Messengers.
Blues In The Night; Basin Street This is one reunion certainly
Blues; Bag's Groove worthy of celebration. (Sweet
Basil Records, c/o PPI Enter-
Manhattan Blues tainment Group, Newark, NJ
MANHATTAN JAZZ QUINTET REUNION
07105)
• Mark Hurley

LOUDHOUSE
For Crying Out Loud
Virgin 4-91716
KENNY MUGWUMP: vcl
MICHAEL CROSS: gtr
BAHIA BLACK System is rhythm. (Surprise!) TIM CROSS: bs
Ritual Beating System Olodum sets up a pulse on This selection of seven VlN E.: dr
Axiom 314-510 856-2 most of the tracks, allowing rather recognizable blues cel- Faith Farm; Loudhouse; Super Soul
CARLINHOS BROWN: gtr, vcl, perc the soloists to weave the ebrates the reunion of the Killer; TV. Babies; Neon Angels;
OLODUM: dr melody through the music. short-lived Manhattan Jazz Torpedo Factory; Punching Clown;
WAYNE SHORTER: sx Worrell's romantic organ work Quintet, lead by pianist David Shy Animals; My Dad's Bigger Than
HERBIE HANCOCK: pno is particularly outstanding. Matthews, and with the addi- Your Dad; King Among The Ruins;
BERNIE WORRELL: org "Uma De Viagem..." fea- tion here of guitarist John Smoke On The Water
HENRY THREADGILL: fl tures the three street drum- Scofield on three tracks. From With the dissolution of
LARRY WRIGHT, mers on what sounds like big Benny Golson's classic "Blues Jane's Addiction, it was only a
DAVID CHAPMAN: buckets overturned pickle buckets. March," which includes matter of time before another
TONY WALLS: dr One plays a single-stroke roll Gadd's tasteful marching fla- band picked up the gauntlet.
Retrato Calado; Capitao Do Asfalto; ostinato, while the second vor at beginning and end, to Loudhouse shares the same
The Seven Powers; Uma Viagem Del plays a neo-hip hop groove Milt Jackson's (from the other dissonant, guitar-driven spirit
Baldes De Larry Wright; Olodum; and the third bashes odd per- MJQ) famous "Bag's Groove," as J.A., Mugwump's echoing
Guia Pro Congal; Gwagwa 0 De; cussion. Some licks are traded, what we have here is some vocal style more than bows to
Follow Me; Nina In The Womb Of with the piece finally ending in aggressive, straight-ahead jazz Perry Farrell, and drummer
The Forest a street-style, single-line drum convincingly performed by five Vin E. obviously comes from
This is yet another fine cadence. The drummers really guys well versed in bop. the same school as Stephen
Axiom release featuring the coalesce on "Follow Me," Though every tune here is Perkins.
cross-pollination of musicians another funky piece of metal- blues-oriented, this MJQ man- But bands could do a lot
from diverse backgrounds and meets-plastic boogie—in- ages to draw you in with a vari- worse than sound like Jane's
cultures. Where else would spired, soulful grooving. ety of grooves that feel so Addiction, and writing Loud-
you find Hancock and Shorter Brazilian singing, jazz solo- good—from the painfully slow house off as a clone would be
collaborating with Brazilian ing, group drumming (both "Basin Street Blues," to an injustice. There's some
drum troupe Olodum, ex rural and urban), sci-fi movie Matthews' "Manhattan Blues," serious rockin' here, and Vin
Paliament-Funkadelic organist sounds, and cool B-3 organ all where the horns burn above E. lends a percussive propul-
Worrell, and street drummers contribute to the aural trance the fire set by the Gadd/Gomez sion most drummers in this
Wright, Chapman, and Walls? that is Ritual Beating System. collaboration. As a matter of genre either fail to match or
The heart of Ritual Beating • Ken Micallef fact, this entire recording is don't even attempt.
 Life); The Lost Souls (Of Southern From the reggae rhythms of propel a fast tempo, as he does
Louisiana)—Cortege/Do I Have To "Dominique" to the quirky on "Giant Steps." His Latin
Go/Mourning March/Memoirs/The gangster swing of "Dark spices are also effective, and
Inquest/Shout; Deore Sceadu (Dark Shadows," the Dozen's fat his solos are well constructed
Shadow); Dominique; Charlie Dozen; sound and loping rhythmic and downright memorable.
Song For Lady M; Remember When; feel lend personality to every (Timeless Records, 157 Bleeck-
Darker Shadows; Eyomzi style they tackle. Loopy, irre- er Street, New York, NY 10012,
sistible, and thoroughly hip. [212] 529-3655)
• Jeff Potter • Richard Egart

A steady meter only en- PETE MAGADINI QUINTET BRANDON FIELDS

hances the energy, and Vin E. Night Dreamers Everybody's Business
uses a snappy snare and tribal Timeless SJP 317 Nova 1940-2
tom work to lift the band into PETER MAGADINI: dr BRANDON FIELDS: sx, fl
Hendrix-like passages. The MIKE ALLEN: sx WALT FOWLER: trp, keys, flgl
drumming is at its best when ANDRE WHITE: pno DAVID GOLDBLATT: keys
allowed to let loose under a GEORGE MITCHELL: bs KEVIN CHOKAN: gtr
funk foundation. Open here to JOHN RUDEL perc. JOHN PENA: bs
more scrutiny because there's Man, are these guys fun. A Friendly Imposition; Exchanging Louis CONTE: perc
no rhythm guitar track to back The ambassadors of N'awlins Love; Sunny Side; Giant Steps; TOM BRECHTLEIN, SONNY EMORY,
the solo—just bass and eclecticism are at it again. Carolyn; Shutterbug; In A Sentimen- GARY NOVAK: dr
drums—Loudhouse comes Like the city that bred them, tal Mood; Stablemates. B Sting; Painted Clouds; Earth Laws;
off deliciously raw. their sound can be simultane- Being famous for something All Fa' Nuthin'; Phone Sax; Slop
Washed-out cymbal tones ously sacred and profane, and is not always a blessing. In Pete Dippin'; Everybody's Business; Blue
enhance the atmosphere in sometimes downright funny. Magadini's case, because he is Star; Guilt By Association; Larry's
the close of "Torpedo Fac- This time the Dozen (actu- so well known for his books on World
tory," while an energetic ally a core unit of eight) fea- polyrhythms, some have come
rhythm section beefs up ture their own compositions to assume that polyrhythms are
"Punching Clown." Though more than ever before. The all he does. But as this album
"T.V. Babies" is too toned diverse, often surprising writ- demonstrates, they are only one
down musically for the band ing offers the best forum to of the spices in his percussive
to handle effectively, it's just date for the band's spicy stew.
one flaw on a surprisingly gumbo of jazz, street march, Magadini's meat 'n' potatoes
effective record. R&B, hymns, funk, and island consists of solid timekeeping in
• Matt Peiken rhythms. Part of the disc fea- the bop tradition. Not only
tures superb kit work by does he not clutter up every
Raymond Weber on tunes like measure with multiple rhy-
THE DIRTY DOZEN "Use Your Brain," a funky thms, but he often plays very As on his three previous
BRASS BAND number that sounds like Tower spaciously, maintaining a releases, The Traveler, Other
Open Up (Watcha Gonna Do For of Power marching through a strong sense of swing with lit- Side Of The Story, and Other
The Rest Of Your Life) muggy swamp. The majority of tle more than quarter notes on Places, on Everybody's Busi-
Columbia CK 47383 the cuts, though, are driven by the ride cymbal. When he does ness Brandon Fields again
GREGORY DAVIS, EFREM TOWNS: trp the Dozen's usual batterie of throw in contrasting rhythms gathers the cream of the LA
ROGER LEWIS, KEVIN HARRIS: sx Batiste and Marshall trading here and there, they tend to session elite and lets them
CHARLES JOSEPH: tbn duties between snare and bass produce a momentary tension, kick some proverbial butt out
KIRK JOSEPH: sous drum. Although the duo create which Magadini then resolves of his slick yet challenging
LIONEL BATISTE, JENELL MARSHAL: sn an early traditional texture, with basic 4/4. music. Good compositions
dr, bs dr, perc their drumming is no less The album also demon- and arrangements aimed for
RAYMOND WEBER: dr "contemporary" than Weber's strates Magadini's full spec- your ears, not just the local
KENNETH WILLIAMS: congas kit work. This is street drum- trum of colors and moods. He WAVE format station, make
Use Your Brain; Open Up (Watcha ming enriched by a world of uses brushes for delicate shad- this a release that might give
Gonna Do For The Rest Of Your modern influences. ings on ballads as well as to fusion a good name again.
 While nothing here is quite national Band Clinic in phone (as well as marimba) Studio 4 Productions
as remarkable as "You Got It" November, 1989, here Bobby are so spread out, aspiring Distributed by Alfred Publishing Co.
from Other Places, these west- displays his technique on a mallet players must spend 16380 Roscoe Blvd.
coast honchos do deliver. The variety of instruments. This is quite a bit of time developing Van Nuys CA 91410
ever-boyish Tom Brechtlein why they called him "Mr. speed and accuracy. Towards Price: $14.00 (score and cassette)
does his best Jimmy Connors Percussion." that end, Emil Richards has Designed to showcase a per-
impersonation on two tracks, Bobby himself explained, put together this video con- former who is adept at
working his tubs with pure "These are not just gimmicks. sisting primarily of technical both drumset and marimba,
sweat and soul, almost seem- They are practical things." His exercises. Oceanus would serve equally
ing to go over the edge come repertoire at this particular This video is subtitled "for well as a performance piece or
solo time, but inevitably land- performance included: how to the Drummer and Percus- as an educational aid. The
ing smack dab in the groove mimic the sound of a tenor sionist." Richards explains at package includes the drum-
when all's said and done. And drum or cuica if you don't have the beginning that there are set/marimba part and a cas-
Sonny Emory brings his kinet- one with you; how to achieve a good reasons for these players sette with a recorded accom-
ic, sharp pocket to a couple of true fortepiano with two trian- to learn mallet instruments— paniment. One side of the tape
tracks, sounding especially gles; how to play claves and not only to supplement their has a complete performance of
good on "B Sting." maracas at the same time; how incomes, but also to learn the piece (by Steve Houghton)
The newcomer to this ses- to get two different sounds out more about such things as on one stereo channel, with
sion is Chicagoan Gary Novak. of one guiro—the list goes on. song forms. Throughout the the accompaniment on the
Gary plays on some diverse Christian also covered his presentation, Richards often other. Flip the cassette over,
material here, balancing musi- unique techniques on gong, draws parallels between mallet and you have the same accom-
cality with tight, V8-charged castanets, cymbals, tam- technique and drumstick or paniment, but this time
chops. From the sensitive bourine, vibraslap, chimes, timpani technique. All of the there's a click track on the
brush work on "Earth Laws" cowbell, and slapsticks. exercises involve two mallets other channel.
to the firecracker funk and Mr. Christian's sense of only. The percussion part com-
gut-bucket time feel of "Slop humor is evident in all his Obviously, one will not com- bines specific figures that
Dippin'," Novak puts his demonstrations, as is his pletely learn to play mallets must be played with impro-
money where his sticks are. incredible technique. Although from watching this video. It vised sections. The chart is
Fusion, tempered with a this video isn't exactly a slick won't teach you to read, and written in the style of a per-
touch of fatback, make Every- studio production, there are while Richards demonstrates cussion part used on a film
body's Business an interesting still many lessons to be many of the exercises in sever- score, and the fact that you
release from the L.A. jazz learned here. al keys, there is no material have prerecorded music to
hierarchy. (Nova Records, For those readers who never included to teach scales per se. sync to, as well as a click track,
1730 Olympic Blvd., Santa saw Bobby Christian work his But used in conjunction with a makes this a very realistic
Monica, CA 90404, [213] 392- magic in person, this would be method book, or with Rich- practice tool for players aspir-
7445) an invaluable glimpse into his ards' own book, Mallet Ex- ing to do studio work.
• Ken Micallef vast experience and talent. ercises For The Drummer And But it's an excellent piece in
And for those who knew Percussionist, the exercises its own right, and would work
VIDEO Bobby, Tricks Of The Trade presented here will help one well as recital material for a
BOBBY CHRISTIAN would also be a great video gain the physical dexterity percussion major. Complete
Tricks Of The Trade memory of one of our true required for mallet playing. instructions for making sure
WIBC Publishing percussion greats. Two segments in which that the audience hears only
c/o Malcolm Publishers • Lauren Vogel Richards performs with a band the accompaniment while the
P.O. Box 2098 (with Joe Porcaro on drums) performer also hears the click
Oak Park, IL 60303 EMIL RICHARDS offer inspiration to do so. are provided. This is a very
Time: Approx. 45 minutes The Essence of Playing Mallets • Rick Mattingly worthwhile addition to percus-
Price: $35.00 Interworld Music sion literature, and here's hop-
This videotape shows Bobby 67 Main Street BOOKS ing there is more to come.
Christian doing what he did Brattleboro VT 05301 OCEANUS • Rick Mattingly
best: sharing his "tricks of the Time: 60 minutes For Drumset and Prepared Tape
trade." Recorded live during a Price: $39.95 by Wendell J. Yuponce and Steve
clinic at the Western Inter- Because the notes on a vibra- Houghton
 that things were going backwards. That But from that point, it took more time to
was a rather difficult time, because we get to full production, because the metal
the potential of that alloy had also been felt that while the 'peak' that we had works now had to start producing the
achieved. achieved was good, we hadn't reached new alloy in quantity. So the development
"B20 bronze has been around for cen- our goal yet. of the Paiste line took years and years.
turies. People simply found that it gave a "There were a lot of discussions with But from the beginning on, we believed
good sound for cymbals and gongs, so the metallurgists. We were developing that it was worthwhile to do it."
they used it. The same is true of the B8 the production technology for the alloy as Despite their own belief in the new
alloy; it was already available on the mar- we were developing the alloy itself. Our alloy, the company was faced with mak-
ket before anyone decided to use it for metal is made by a Swiss melting and ing the drumming public understand
cymbals. But we got really curious: What rolling company with very efficient labo- that this wasn't "just another new line"
should an alloy be to give the optimum ratories and a team of metallurgists used from Paiste—a company already famous
potential specifically for cymbal sounds? to getting results. This team had to stay for having many cymbal lines. As Robert
So in 1980, we started to search for an motivated to follow this whole process explains, the company took a very prag-
alloy with a big, rich sound potential. It through, and we tried to do our part by matic look at this problem.
took seven years to develop that alloy." maintaining good communication with "No matter what we think of a new
Why would it take so long? them. But this was also difficult, because cymbal, in the end the drummers do the
"We started only with ideas of what the we were talking about sound and vibra- deciding. Each sound speaks for itself,
alloy should be like," Robert explains. tion, while they were talking about the so the only thing we can do is present
"Then it had to be produced. The differ- chemistry of metal. To develop a mutual the sound on the market. Whether it
ent ingredients had to be melted, understanding, we always brought them took eight years of development or eighty
poured, and rolled before we could make the prototype cymbals to listen to. In that years—if the sound is lousy, drummers
the first cymbals and listen to them to way, they got an understanding of how won't be interested. So in the same way
determine their sound potential. From the alloy produced sounds in response to that we took a risk to develop the Paiste
there it was a matter of determining if their changes. line, we also took a risk to put it out on
they could be better. For the first two "And then suddenly a new possibility the market and find out what the reac-
years, each change got a step better and was found, and the potential of the alloy tion would be. The reaction has been
more interesting. But in the third year, it developed rapidly—farther than we ever marvelous. So we feel great satisfaction
somehow seemed that not only had we dared to hope. The first cymbals made now."
reached the peak of possibilities, but out of this metal were very interesting. Paiste has since been able to capitalize
on the development of the Paiste alloy by drummers always decide. If it were oth- tomers know that it's been discontin-
introducing the Sound Formula series. erwise, it would have been very easy to ued—eventually they wind up trying to
This line is made in the company's Ger- forget the 2002. But it wasn't. market a vast, potentially confusing
man factory, using production tech- product line. A drummer might not
niques that help to keep the costs down, Marketing know where to start.
yet offer professional quality. The line is Marketing Paiste cymbals is the spe- At the retail level, the dealer has the
also slightly more limited than the Paiste cialty of Toomas Paiste. While Robert is problem of what to stock so that drum-
line in terms of models. content to stay in Nottwil, supervising mers have choices to listen to. He has to
In 1991 the company introduced two manufacturing operations, Toomas trav- choose and buy it first—and he may not
new lines: the semi-pro Alpha (made of els the world, representing the company even be a drummer.
B8 alloy) and the entry-level Brass to the international market. "The differ- "Dealers have the biggest problem,"
Tones (made of brass). At the same time, ence between Toomas and myself is says Toomas. "So this is an area where
Paiste phased out some other lines such amazing," comments Robert, with a we've tried to help. For over 20 years,
as the 200 and 400 series. But, in defer- smile. "He is born for marketing; I'm we've operated our Sound Centers,
ence to "the market," these changes are born for production. It gives an optimum staffed with people who are experts
being made slowly. Paiste is keenly aware combination of talents." about cymbals. We offer retailers infor-
of market response, because they experi- Toomas's talents are critical to the mation and advice. We also encourage
enced it in a dramatic way a few years company's success. It's his responsibility them to have our competitors' cymbals
ago. to present Paiste products to the drum available for testing too, because only
"We were really expecting that the consumer in the most effective manner this gives a drummer a real opportunity
2002 would sneak out of the market," possible. It isn't an easy job. In the cym- to make an educated decision. He has to
Robert explains, "because of the success bal business—as with almost any type of hear all the different sound possibilities
of the Paiste line and the 3000 series that contemporary musical instrument pro- to find out what's good for him personal-
we had introduced just before it. But duction—manufacturers have to offer ly."
when we tried to phase 2002s out, there something new and enticing every cou- Paiste's recent advertising has under-
was such a loud outcry from drummers ple of years to keep consumer interest. scored this "please try them all"
that we had to reinstate the series. This But unless they discontinue something approach—eliciting both positive and
is proof again that in our business, the at the same time—and let their cus- negative reactions from the market.
Some feel it is an aggressive, confronta- brand loyalty—which is very strong with got more and more visual. First it was
tional approach. Toomas disagrees. drummers when it comes to cymbals." clothes and hair color, and then
"We're just taking a simple, direct, and User loyally can work against a manu- drums...and eventually people were ask-
honest approach, requesting that drum- facturer, though, when trying to convince ing for colored cymbals. When that trend
mers make their decisions based on drummers to try a new type of cymbal faded, the demand for those cymbals
what they hear—not on what they read they have not played before. "In order for also faded. Yet there was a certain sound
or what they are told. We don't say, 'Lis- a drummer to consider changing to a quality in those cymbals that appealed to
ten to these three brands, and you will new cymbal," says Robert, "he must first some drummers—regardless of the cym-
find that ours is the best.' We say, 'Lis- be really interested and excited. It's a bals' color. Today there are people who
ten to these three brands. We hope you whole new experience—a whole new actually favor the Color Sounds—espe-
will find that ours is the best. But exer- process of finding out what the cymbal cially the ride and the hi-hats—because
cise your own opinion and make your can do and how it feels. He may even they have a certain dryness. We still
own choice.'" need to adjust his technique in certain manufacture them in limited quanti-
Paiste also recognizes that drummers ways. So it must be really promising for ties."
choose cymbals for subtle reasons, as him to do all of this. But again, sound
Robert describes. "Besides the sound, and feeling can motivate this." Cymbal Production
there are also definite vibrations that a Other sources of motivation—such as Paiste's cymbal-making facility looks
drummer can feel as well as hear. For fashion trends—can also influence more like a laboratory than a factory or
some drummers, this feeling—how they drummers' tastes in cymbals—and man- manufacturing operation. The bright,
are getting the sound and vibration—is ufacturers' responses. Such is the case airy work areas feature colorful walls,
even more important than how the cym- with Paiste's Color Sound cymbals, spotless linoleum floors, and large win-
bal sounds out in the audience. Each which were introduced in 1985, when an dows offering views of the scenic country
model of cymbal from every different emphasis on cosmetics was sweeping the just outside. Where else in the world
manufacturer has its own special charac- percussion industry. As Robert puts it, might one look up from lathing a cymbal,
ter of sound and vibration. For some "I'm sure that no cymbal maker would glance out the window—and see cows
people, one kind of feeling or character ever get the idea to make a cymbal and grazing in a pasture across the street?
is more comfortable than something then put color on it. But there was an And while each hammering station is
else. This accounts a great deal for undeniable trend on the market. Bands built into a little sound-proofed alcove,
each alcove has windows with a beautiful types. But within each individual model, man."
view across a lake—so there is still a there is still a difference. It's not exactly Why is the hammering operation so
feeling of spaciousness. This was a very the same total sound, because our cym- critical to the creation of a Paiste cym-
conscious decision by Paiste, as Robert bals are the result of hand work—and bal? "I will answer that question rather
explains. "Everything is designed to cre- that can't be totally the same. There will carefully," says Robert, "because every
ate the right feeling—a pleasure in be infinite subtle varieties." manufacturer has his own system. But
working—because the work itself Cymbals begin life as disks of bronze what is obvious is that through the ham-
requires a lot of concentration. It's not alloy—cast, poured, rolled, and cut to mering, the metal is compressed. The
just pushing buttons." Paiste's exacting specifications by a molecular structure of the cymbal at the
Speaking of concentration, a lot of that Swiss rolling mill. A mechanical press is hammer point gets denser than at
goes into the creation of Paiste cymbals used to press the bell, or cup, of the unhammered points. This influences the
before any actual manufacturing is done. cymbal-to-be into each disk. "Each cym- vibrations within the cymbal that give the
"We determine what each cymbal is bal type has its own size of cup," says sound a certain character, color, or
going to be before the start of produc- Robert. "The cup's diameter—in pro- touch.
tion," says Robert. "And every cymbal portion to the diameter of the "Besides the hammering," adds
that's manufactured is compared along cymbal—influences the sound." Robert, "whether a cymbal sounds high
the way with original prototypes, for After the cup is pressed in, the disk or low is also determined by the shape of
which every detail is recorded and speci- goes to the only totally automatic the bow, and by the cymbal's overall
fied. That way, we're always sure that the machine in Paiste's entire manufactur- thickness to begin with. These three
same process is followed again and ing operation. It is used to trim each parameters are interchangeable, giving a
again. Nothing is accidental." cymbal disk into absolute roundness and wide variety of factors to use for deter-
This constant comparison to proto- smooth its edge before it goes to be mining a cymbal's sound."
types allows Paiste workmen to produce hammered. From that point on, each Not every cymbal is hammered the
any given model of cymbal in a consis- cymbal undergoes a series of meticulous same way, nor at the same time in its
tent manner. This consistency among operations performed by skilled crafts- production sequence, nor even as many
models has been the hallmark of the men. times. "With special sound types," says
Paiste brand. But Robert is quick to Hammering is the most critical aspect Robert, "there's a first hammering and
point out that, while a drummer would of Paiste's cymbal-making process, as then a first lathing. Then the cymbal
find consistency within a given series, Robert describes. "Aside from the bell, comes back for re-hammering, and then
each cymbal still will have its own char- the entire shape of the cymbal is ham- it goes up again for the finish lathing. It
acter. mered out. Each operator must know the depends on the kind of sound and what-
"The term 'consistency' shouldn't be proper hammering combination for each ever process is needed. Sometimes it's
misinterpreted. We think it's important model and line he's working on. And he very complicated."
that the sound character is consistent must be able to achieve that combination Initial hammering takes place on a
within a given model of cymbals. For with his own skill. There are no tem- hydraulic machine. The operator sits in
example, if we have three different crash plates here—no guides to go by. The a sort of bucket seat, controlling the
types in the same size, all cymbals made information is written down on the data hammer beat with his right foot on a
for each type are consistent in that they cards for the cymbals, but must be real- pedal. "He's also telling the machine
don't start to sound like one of the other ized physically by the skill of the work- how hard to strike," says Robert. "As he
presses the pedal down, the hammer
beat gets stronger. He can change from
very soft hammering to very hard ham-
mering. In addition, he holds and rotates
each cymbal in his hands. In that way, he
controls the hammer pattern—making
the hammer strikes distant from each
other, or very close together. Each ham-
mer operator has a master prototype to
compare the cymbal he is hammering to.
The shape and tension all around has to
be the same so that you don't get differ-
ent sounds from different places on the
cymbal.
"When we were hammering all of our
cymbals by hand only," Robert continues,
"the hammering was much more diffi-
cult in the afternoon than in the morn- prudent, Paiste collects the metal that is customers all over the world.
ing—simply because the hammerers shaved off the cymbals and sells it back
became fatigued. Our system now pro- to the metal mill. Although it is not used It seems ironic that a product with a
vides the same effect as hand-hammer- again for cymbal manufacture, it can be reputation among drummers for high-
ing—but with much better control. And, used for other purposes. tech manufacture and cutting-edge
as a matter of fact, after this process, Following the final lathing, each cym- innovation is actually created between
each cymbal is hammered by hand. This bal gets a protective wax coating, and the pastured hillsides and a pristine lake in a
helps to fine-tune the cymbal for even- appropriate Paiste logo is stamped on. sleepy Swiss village. Robert Paiste adds
ness of pitch and tonality—and also But the cymbal must undergo one more to this irony personally, because he lives
makes sure that the edges are completely operation before it's ready to ship, which in a house on the factory grounds—
flat all the way around. That is important is..."the sound test," says Robert, with a "Like a farmer on his land," as he puts
for the lathing operations to come." smile. "We test every cymbal, without it. "We could never have our production
The removal of metal from the cym- exception. We always do it in the morn- in a typical industrial area. We have a
bals is yet another hand-controlled pro- ing, when our testers' ears are rested. strong belief that our natural surround-
cess. The cymbals are mounted on a Each cymbal is put on a stand and com- ings help this kind of work.
rotating disk—in order to add speed to pared in sound to the prototypes. We "All together, we are a very crazy com-
the operation. But the operators hold the check by ear, and by stick feeling." pany," comments Robert. "We are pro-
lathing blades in their hands. There is a According to Robert, three to five per- ducing sounds, and the development of
horizontal track on which they can rest cent of the cymbals produced don't make sounds is not a cut-and-dried science.
the blade, but they employ no mechani- the grade. But, as he puts it, "This hap- Our production is still very primitive, by
cal guides, templates, or pressure moni- pens because it's hand work. Somebody modern industrial terms. We could make
tors of any kind. How much metal they has a bad day, or had a long night before. more cymbals with less people if we used
remove, and where they remove it, is Or there can be a flaw in the metal itself more 'modern' systems—but we don't
entirely dependent on their skill with the that only shows up after we've started to want to. Perhaps that's old-generation
blade. Each operator shaves a bit of cut the metal off. Or sometimes we just thinking in this day and age, but that's
metal off, then checks the cymbal with a hear it." Cymbals that pass the final test where tradition has its roots."
micrometer. This operation is repeated go to the warehouse, to be shipped to
until the correct thickness is achieved on
all areas of the cymbal.
"Some people think that the bow, or
profile, of the cymbal, is made by the
lathing," comments Robert. "But as I've
explained, the shape is hammered out.
It's a very important difference. Lathing
just takes metal off to certain thickness
specifications for each cymbal type."
Even though the demands of manufac-
turing require a certain output level,
Paiste's workers don't rush. They take
care, working steadily and with concen-
tration. "They have to concentrate," says
Robert, "because the tolerance in thick-
ness we require from the lathing is plus
or minus one hundredth of a millimeter.
And the tolerance in the shape from the
hammering is plus or minus one tenth of
a millimeter. So they really have to watch
what they're doing." Wouldn't it be easi-
er to use high-efficiency machines to
achieve these tolerances? Robert doesn't
think so. "We are concerned with crafts-
manship, which requires the work of liv-
ing craftsmen. We only use machines to
help as long as the human factor is not
disturbed. It's always a fine line."
Both economically and ecologically
LP Gajate Bracket Aquarian Power-
snake, making setup even faster. Units
fold in half for transport, and I.D.C.
LP's new Gajate bracket allows small,
mountable instruments like cowbells to
be played with a bass drum pedal. Latin
Sleeve Sticks
Aquarian's new Power-Sleeve hickory
offers personal service for individual
needs. Innovative Drum Concepts,
2175 Pantages Circle, Rancho
Percussion, Inc., 160 Belmont Ave., drumsticks mold nylonex—a nylon-based Cordova, CA 95670, (916) 631-0715.
Garfield, NJ 07026. material—onto the sticks at the tip and
rimshot area for added wear. Aquarian
claims this new method won't adversely
affect sound, and that the new sticks are
New Firth Catalog
Vic Firth has introduced its new 12-page,
priced competitively with other manufac- full-color catalog, featuring all of the
turers' top-line products. Aquarian company's products. For a free catalog,
Accessories, 1140 N. Tustin Ave., contact Vic Firth, Inc., 323 Whiting
Anaheim, CA 92807, (800) 473-0231. Ave., Unit B, Dedham, MA 02026, tel:
(617) 326-3455, fax: (617) 326-1273.

Innovative Drum Rock N' Roller

Concepts Riser
Innovative Drum Concepts' new drum
The Rock N' Roller is a portable combi-
nation hand truck/dolly that is designed
riser was specially created for drummers to carry large amounts of equipment.
with racks or cages. The rack measures According to the makers, the Rock N'
4' x 4'x l' and features heavy-duty corners, Roller carries up to 500 pounds of gear,
handles, latches, casters, and aluminum fits into small car trunks, and easily
edging. Models are available that also climbs stairs. It features 10" pneumatic
include a mic' cable patch board and tires, a non-skid surface, and caster
brakes, extends to 54" in length, and Trail, Dodge City, KS 67801, tel: (316) plans to consolidate distribution of the
weighs 33 lbs. Rock N' Roller, 3906 225-1308, fax: (316) 227-2314. sticks and expand its export position in
Sandshell Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76137, North America, Europe, and the Far East.

Russian Dragon
tel: (817) 847-5400, fax: (817) 847-6319. For more information, contact Nomad's
president, Bill Filek, at Nomad Cases,

Mapex "World Beat" Lowers Price Inc., 108 Duncan St., Welland,
Ontario, Canada L3B 2E2, tel: (416)

Catalog Jeanius Electronics' Russian Dragon

visual tempo indicator is now available at
734-4414, fax: (416) 734-3313.

The new, 36-page Mapex catalog features

descriptions of all the company's drum-
a lower cost, due to Jeanius's merger with
Texas-based electronics firm Audio Apache Stainless
sets in English, German, French, Italian,
and Spanish. Mapex Percussion, P.O.
Box 748, Effingham, IL 62401.
Engineering. The merger is said to
streamline production of the unit. To
order the product, call (800) 880-8776;
Steel Drums
Apache Drums are made individually in
for technical information, call (512) 525- England of .064"-thick, brightly polished

Evans Genera G-2 0719. Jeanius Electronics, 2815

Swandale, San Antonio, TX 78230.
annealed stainless steel. Apache says this
particular type of steel was chosen

Tom Heads
Evans' new Genera G-2 clear, double-ply Nomad Cases Offers
because of its durability and strength,
without excess weight. The makers claim
the drums are unique in appearance and
tom heads were designed primarily for
general to heavy-duty playing situations.
Evans claims the heads tune easily, are
Powertip Sticks
Nomad Cases, Inc. has acquired the
sound, and that they project high volume.
Apache drumshells have 180° folds at
each end to add rigidity and work as
very consistent from head to head, and assets of the PowerTip maple drumstick accurate bearing edges. All hardware is
feature a deep, focused sound. Evans company and has moved the factory to heavy-duty. Chrome-plated die-cast
Products, Inc., P.O. Box 58, 201 W. Niagara Falls, Ontario. Nomad says it hoops and lugs, adjustable bass drum
spurs and floor toms legs, and custom Robinson Percussion's Septimbre snare describe as a long 5A with a small, cap-
racks are available. Apache states that any drum incorporates a triple strainer system, sule-shaped tip like their 737 model's.
size drum can be custom-ordered and making it possible to individually or in The stick is 16 1/8" long, and its diameter
will be manufactured in less than two combination use gut, cable, and wire is 9/16". Pro-Mark says the 717 is good for
weeks. Colored steel drums will be avail- snares on a single drum. Robinson claims a variety of uses, from rock to jazz. Pro-
able in mid-'92. Apache Drums, P.O. that, in addition to its being versatile, the Mark Corp., 10707 Craighead Dr.,
Box 25, Mortimer, Berkshire, England Septimbre snare is also powerful yet sensi- Houston, TX 77025-5899, tel: (713)
RG7 3XL, tel: (0734) 834852, fax: tive. Robinson Percussion, 517 SE 666-2525, fax: (713) 669-8000.
(0734) 342068. Country Lane, Lee's Summit, MO
64063, (816) 524-9105.

Robinson Septimbre New Pro-Mark

Snare Drum Stick Models
Pro-Mark has introduced its new SD-
20N Super Bounce maple, nylon-tip
drumstick. The stick measures 16" long
by 5/8" in diameter and resembles the
company's 2B in diameter, but tapers
down to a 7A tip size. Pro-Mark claims
the stick is lively yet lightweight and easi-
ly controllable.
Also new from the company is their
717 wood-tip hickory stick, which they
Coming Events
Yamaha Sounds of Summer Music
(Consumer Show, Conference, and Music
Festival. Featuring Westex instrument and
gear exhibit, Music West Conference [sem-
and '40s) and Frankie Malabe (master
congero, author, and educator). Proceeds
were dedicated to help Malabe with medi-
Camp Program '92 (Marching Percussion inars and workshops for musicians, man- cal expenses related to a life-threatening
and Wind Camp, with Drumset Clinic. agers, publishers, etc.], and Music West illness. Individuals wishing to help may
Contact Yamaha's Band & Orchestral Festival [showcasing unsigned talent]. contact Frank Marino in care of the Long
Division at 3445 East Paris Ave., S.E., P.O. Contact Bruce Charlap at [604] 684-9338.) Island Drum Center, 80 Main St., Nyack,
Box 899, Grand Rapids, MI 49512-0899.) NY, (914) 358-5303.
United States Percussion Camp, July
5-11, Eastern Illinois University,
Charleston, IL (Marching and Latin
Indy Quickies
The Percussive Arts Society's new inter-
The Drummers Alliance has opened a
drum school in Sheffield, England offering
individual and group tuition and work-
Percussion, plus Drumset Camp. Contact national headquarters in Lawton, shops. For more info, contact Toni
Joseph Martin, Director, Eastern Music Oklahoma will house administrative Cannelli at (0742) 684678, or write
Camp, Eastern Illinois University, offices and a museum. The museum will Drummers Alliance at 6, Toyne Street,
Charleston, IL 61920.) display instruments that have been donat- Crookes, Sheffield, England SIO IHJ.
Thelonious Monk Jazz Drum ed to the society over the years, as well as The American Music Conference has
Competition, October 24 and 25, recent donations by Emil Richards and moved its office to 444 N. Michigan Ave.,
Washington, D.C. (International drum- Murray Spivak. Additional donations are Chicago, IL 60611. New phone: (312) 644-
ming competition open to young drum- also being sought. For more information, 8600, fax: (312) 644-6454.
mers. Scholarship prizes of $10,000 for contact PAS at P.O. Box 25, Lawton, OK DCI Music Video and its publishing
first place, $5,000 for second, $3,000 for 73502, (405) 353-1455. arm, Manhattan Music, Inc., along with
third. Contact Shelby Fischer at [202] 895- An all-star Latin jazz concert was held REH Publications, Inc., have merged
1610.) in New York on February 2 in tribute to with CPP/Belwin, Inc. to form a new
Music West, May 1-4, Vancouver Trade Antonio "El Cojito" Escollies (pioneer- division called the CPP Media Group.
and Convention Center, B.C., Canada. ing drummer/timbalero in the '20s, '30s, Musicians Institute has awarded its
first Outstanding Lifetime In Music award Rodriguez using Remo drums, Sabian using Shure mic's.
to the members of Rush—Alex Lifeson, cymbals, Beato bags, Gibraltar racks, Steve Millington using DW and Vic
Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart. Rhythm Tech tambourines, LP percus- Firth products.
Recent Yamaha happenings include sion, Vater sticks, and Ensoniq electronics.
live performances at the Tokyo Music Fair
by Tony Verderosa, Peter Erskine,
Cliff Almond and Frank Briggs have
joined Noble & Cooley's endorser list. VeriSonic
Ndugu Chancier, and Akira Jimbo, and
a double bill at PIT with Verderosa and
Richie Mattalian using Cappella
sticks. Recycling Program
To mark its 30th anniversary in the alu-
Tommy Aldridge. Jorg Michael of Axel Rudi Pell and
Michael Witzel with Rupert Hine using minum drumstick and brush business,

Endorser News
Frederico Percussion endorsers now
Meinl cymbals.
Matt Sorum using DW pedals.
Jeff Porcaro and Trilok Gurtu using
VeriSonic is sponsoring a "Save The
Trees" recycling program throughout
1992. The promotion involves customers
include Airto, Jim Brock, Ron Bushy, Brady snare drums. returning two pairs of their used VeriSonic
Doctor Gibbs, Gordon Gottlieb, Jamey Russ Miller using Yamaha drums and sticks. In return, VeriSonic will underwrite
Haddad, Mickey Hart, John "Vatos" electronics. the cost of having a tree planted in the
Hernandez, Giovani Hidalgo, Joe 1991's PAS drumset competition win- customer's name by the National Forest
Morello, Adam Nussbaum, Dave ner, Ronnie Manaog, playing DW drums. Service. Send sticks to 3383-F Industrial
Samuels, Mongo Santamaria, Ricky Liam Jason of Rhino Bucket, gospel Blvd, Bethel Park, PA 15102. Include your
Sebastian, and Michael Shapiro. drummer and PIT instructor Fred name and address, and you'll receive a
Paul Geary of Extreme, Mark Scott of Dinkins, and Dirty Looks' James Harris certificate from the National Forest
Trixter, Mel Gaynor, Matt Sorum, and playing Slingerland drums. Service in recognition of your donation.
Bobby Rock using LP equipment. Tommy Igoe using Premier drums.
Miami Sound Machine's Robert Peter Erskine and Tony Williams
TONY WILLIAMS PLUS:
FATES WARNING'S
MARK ZONDER
MALE VOCALISTS
ON DRUMMERS
A DIFFERENT VIEW
WITH STANLEY CLARKE

'92 READERS
POLL RESULTS
ADVERTISERS INDEX

ADVERTISER PAGE NUMBER ADVERTISER PAGE NUMBER ADVERTISER PAGE NUMBER

A 440 Music 104 HQ Percussion Products 106,116 Pro*Mark 11,82
ABK Rocks 101 Hot Sticks 88 PureCussion, Inc. 72,74
Aquarian Accessories 90 Humes & Berg 19 Remo 93
Atlanta Pro Percussion 112 Istanbul/Gretsch 61 Rhythm Tech 94
Berklee College of Music 68 Jemm Co. 111 RimSHOT Drumsticks 108/109
Bison Drum Co. 104 KC Drumworks 88 Roc-N-Soc 116
Bostac Co. 54 KAT, Inc. 15 Royce Percussion 54
Calato/Regal Tip 70 L.T. Lug Lock 104,105 Sabian 58/59,85
Cappella Drumsticks 76 LT Sound 104 Sam Ash Music Stores 87
Corder Drum Co. 76 Latin Percussion, Inc. 69 Shure 91
DCI Music Video 51 Ludwig Industries Inside Front Cover Simmons 75
ddrum 55 Mackie Designs, Inc. 57 Skins & Tins Drum Shop 104
Deven Chase Drumsticks 97 Mapex Percussion 65 Slap Happy Productions 67
Discount Distributors 45 MD Back Issues 102 Sonor 53
Dopple, Inc. 105 MD Library 110 Stik Works 95
Drum Doctors 77 MD Subscriptions 118 Stixonics Drumstix 54
Drum Workshop 40/41 Mechanical Music Corp./Stick Handler 96 Suncoast Music Distributing 88
Drummers Collective 107 Meinl 89 Super Gloss/Sam Barnard 105
Drums on Sale 104 Music Dispatch 71 Tama 46/47,79
Drumst6 84 Music West 84 Thoroughbred Music 90
Evans Products 1,86 Musicians Institute 73 UDU Drums 104
Falicon Design 96 Paiste 49,103,117 Unique Percussion 96
Firchie Drum Co. 5 Parziale 105 Universal Percussion 70
Fork's Drum Closet 105 Pearl Corporation 20/21,72,87 Vater Percussion 81
Form Leaders Co., Inc. 95 Inside Back Cover Vic Firth, Inc. 16/17
Gene Piccalo Enterprises 88 Play It Straight 113 Waddell's Cymbal Warehouse 105
Glenn Weber Drum Studio 104 Precision Drum Co. 105 Yamaha 83
Gorilla Snot 77 Premier 12/13 Zildjian 7,67,74,Outside Back Cover
 MD's 1992
Drum Product
Consumers Poll
In our January 1986 and January, 1989 issues, MD featured Drum Product Con-
sumer Polls. These polls gave you the opportunity to express your opinions
regarding drum-related products on the market and the manufacturers of
those products. After three years of product development - along with the
entry into the market of dozens of new and innovative manufacturers it's
time once again to state your preferences regarding drum and percussion
equipment and companies you deal with.
Please take a moment to read the following instructions before recording
your opinions. Then submit the attached ballot and be sure to include your
name and address where indicated. All ballots must be postmarked no later
than June 15, 1992. Poll results will be published in our November 1992 issue.

1. Most Innovative Company or other consumer-oriented literature? Please give

In the past three years, what company has con- us examples from your own experience.
sistently provided products demonstrating the best
new ideas? What company produced products that 4. Most Interesting Ad/Marketing Campaign
were really both new and useful—as opposed to Manufacturers devote a great deal of time and
gimmicks or fads? Please include the company effort (and no small amount of money) to their
names and examples of their specific products that advertising. We'd like to know which company pre-
led you to vote for them. sented the ad that you found the most intriguing,
exciting, original, etc. Whose ad particularly caught
2. Best Quality And Craftsmanship your attention? Whose ad gave you the incentive to
Which companies do you think produce the most actually go out and examine a product more close-
reliable and trouble-free products or equipment? ly? Please describe the particular ad, and give your
Which companies demonstrate the greatest atten- reasons for choosing it.
tion to quality control? Again, please cite specific
reasons for your selections. 5. Most Valuable Product
What product, introduced since January of 1989,
3. Most Consumer/Service Oriented has made your playing life easier, offered you more
Which companies give the best warranty service, musical creativity, or in some other way improved
repairs, and replacements? Which have the quick- your situation more than any other? We're asking
est deliveries or turnaround time for servicing? for the specific product, but please be sure to
Which offer the most information before the sale, include the manufacturer's name and your reasons
in terms of easy-to-use catalogs, informative flyers, for choosing the product.